Clayton Kershaw vs Chris Sale: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Clayton Kershaw has played 2008–present as a pitcher; Chris Sale has played 2010–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–present) and Chris Sale (2010–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw compiled 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Chris Sale put up 145 wins and 2,579 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 Chris Sale's 3.01.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Chris Sale's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Chris Sale's 2,579.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Chris Sale's 1.05.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855 to Chris Sale's 2,084.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Chris Sale's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Chris Sale's 65,834.
Clayton Kershaw
Chris Sale
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 145 |
| Losses | 96 | 88 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 393 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 312 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 16 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 3 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 12 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 2,579 |
| Walks | 713 | 487 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,193 | 1,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 235 | 213 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855 | 2,084 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.01 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.05 |
| K/9 | 9.62 | Leads: 11.14 |
| BB/9 | 2.25 | Leads: 2.10 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Chris Sale 93,455 to 65,834 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,192 vs 4,389 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Chris Sale — 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 Chris Sale 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
Clayton Kershaw vs Chris Sale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Chris Sale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Chris Sale in 9 of 12 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Chris Sale's 3.01.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Chris Sale's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Chris Sale's 2,579.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Chris Sale's 1.05.