Clayton Kershaw vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Clayton Kershaw played 2008–2025 as a pitcher; Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) and Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Juan Marichal's 2.89.
- Who won more games? Juan Marichal, with 243 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Juan Marichal's 1.10.
- Who pitched more innings? Juan Marichal, with 3,507.1 to Clayton Kershaw's 2,855.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Clayton Kershaw's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Juan Marichal's 48,870.
Clayton Kershaw
Juan Marichal
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2000s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 223 | Leads: 243 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 142 |
| Games | 455 | Leads: 471 |
| Games Started | 451 | Leads: 457 |
| Complete Games | 25 | Leads: 244 |
| Shutouts | 15 | Leads: 52 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 2,303 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,855.1 | Leads: 3,507.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 2.89 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 2.25 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Juan Marichal 93,455 to 48,870 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 3,054, across 18 seasons to 16. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Juan Marichal owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Clayton Kershaw. PIV agrees: Clayton Kershaw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Clayton Kershaw and Juan Marichal careers compare
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) was finished before Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 455 games for Clayton Kershaw and 471 for Juan Marichal across 18 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Clayton Kershaw's edges on the table are strikeouts (3,052 to 2,303), ERA (2.53 to 2.89), and WHIP (1.02 to 1.10). The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 5.91 and 1.82 for Juan Marichal. Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games), and Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games).
Clayton Kershaw vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Marichal leads Clayton Kershaw in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Juan Marichal's 2.89.
- Who won more games?
- Juan Marichal, with 243 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Juan Marichal's 1.10.