Clayton Kershaw vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Clayton Kershaw played 2008–2025 as a pitcher; Justin Verlander has played 2005–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 Justin Verlander (2005–present) — both debuted in the 2000s. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through the 2026 season. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Clayton Kershaw, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Clayton Kershaw's 3,052.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- How many innings did each pitch? Clayton Kershaw 2,855.1, Justin Verlander 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Justin Verlander's 9.
Clayton Kershaw
Justin Verlander
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 223 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 159 |
| Games not scored | 455 | 557 |
| Games Started not scored | 451 | 557 |
| Complete Games | 25 | Leads: 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 9 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 3,052 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,855.1 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Justin Verlander 93,455 to 68,171 — driven by per-season impact — 5,192 PIV per season to 3,246 — rather than by longevity, since Clayton Kershaw played 18 seasons to Justin Verlander's 21. 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)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Clayton Kershaw leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: shutouts, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts per nine, and others. Justin Verlander leads 3: wins, complete games, and strikeouts. 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 Justin Verlander careers compare
From 2008 through 2025, Clayton Kershaw and Justin Verlander were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 455 games for Clayton Kershaw and 557 for Justin Verlander across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Justin Verlander are wins (266 to 223), complete games (26 to 25), and strikeouts (3,560 to 3,052). The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Both had the same role: Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games); Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Justin Verlander's totals run through the 2026 season.
Clayton Kershaw vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Justin Verlander in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Clayton Kershaw's 3,052.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.