Clayton Kershaw vs Roy Oswalt: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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 Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 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 Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Roy Oswalt's 2,245.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Roy Oswalt's 55,095.
Clayton Kershaw
Roy Oswalt
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Roy Oswalt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 102 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 365 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 341 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 1,852 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 520 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 2,199 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 197 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855.1 | 2,245.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.36 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 7.42 |
| BB/9 | 2.25 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Roy Oswalt 93,455 to 55,095 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 3,935, across 18 seasons to 14. 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)
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Roy Oswalt owns no headline categories. 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 Roy Oswalt careers compare
From 2008 through 2013, Clayton Kershaw and Roy Oswalt were in the majors together. With 455 games against 365 across 18 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Roy Oswalt are walks per nine (2.08 to 2.25). The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 7.42 and 2.08 for Roy Oswalt. Both had the same role: Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games); Roy Oswalt was mainly a starter (341 starts in 365 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
Clayton Kershaw vs Roy Oswalt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Roy Oswalt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Roy Oswalt in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.