Clayton Kershaw vs Tarik Skubal: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw 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; Tarik Skubal has played 2020–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 Tarik Skubal (2020–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 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 Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Clayton Kershaw's 1.02.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Tarik Skubal's 20,288.
Clayton Kershaw
Tarik Skubal
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Tarik Skubal is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 66 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 163 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 160 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 1 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855.1 | 925.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.02 |
| WHIP | 1.02 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 9.62 | Leads: 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.25 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Tarik Skubal 93,455 to 20,288 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 3,381, across 18 seasons to 6. 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)
Tarik Skubal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Tarik Skubal owns WHIP and 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 Tarik Skubal careers compare
The careers of Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) and Tarik Skubal (2020–present) overlapped from 2020 to 2025, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 455 games of Clayton Kershaw with 163 of Tarik Skubal across 18 and 6 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Tarik Skubal comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.01 to 1.02), strikeouts per nine (10.46 to 9.62), and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.25). By rate, Clayton Kershaw struck out 9.62 and walked 2.25 per nine innings; Tarik Skubal struck out 10.46 and walked 1.94. Because Tarik Skubal is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Clayton Kershaw vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Tarik Skubal in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Clayton Kershaw's 1.02.