Clayton Kershaw vs Robbie Ray: 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; Robbie Ray has played 2014–present 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 Robbie Ray (2014–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Robbie Ray has 101 wins and 1,874 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. 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 Robbie Ray's 3.90.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Robbie Ray's 101.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Robbie Ray's 1,874.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Robbie Ray's 1.30.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Robbie Ray's 1,606.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Robbie Ray's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Robbie Ray's 5,175.
Clayton Kershaw
Robbie Ray
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Robbie Ray is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Robbie Ray |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 101 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 296 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 291 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 1,874 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 692 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 1,390 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 238 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855.1 | 1,606.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.90 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.30 |
| K/9 | 9.62 | Leads: 10.50 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 3.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Robbie Ray 93,455 to 5,175 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 398, across 18 seasons to 13. 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)
Robbie Ray — 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 Robbie Ray owns K/9. 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 Robbie Ray careers compare
From 2014 through 2025, Clayton Kershaw and Robbie Ray were in the majors together. The table compares 455 games of Clayton Kershaw with 296 of Robbie Ray across 18 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Robbie Ray's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (10.50 to 9.62). The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 10.50 and 3.88 for Robbie Ray. Both had the same role: Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games); Robbie Ray was mainly a starter (291 starts in 296 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Robbie Ray's 1.30. Because Robbie Ray is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Clayton Kershaw vs Robbie Ray: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Robbie Ray?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Robbie Ray in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Robbie Ray's 3.90.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Robbie Ray's 101.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Robbie Ray's 1,874.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Robbie Ray's 1.30.