Clayton Kershaw vs Adam Wainwright: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Adam Wainwright played 2005–2023 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 Adam Wainwright (2005–2023) — both debuted in the 2000s. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Adam Wainwright finished with 200 wins and 2,202 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Clayton Kershaw, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
- How many innings did each pitch? Clayton Kershaw 2,855.1, Adam Wainwright 2,668.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Adam Wainwright's 11.
Clayton Kershaw
Adam Wainwright
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 | Adam Wainwright |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 128 |
| Games not scored | 455 | 478 |
| Games Started not scored | 451 | 411 |
| Complete Games | 25 | Leads: 28 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 11 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 2,202 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 736 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 2,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 233 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,855.1 | 2,668.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.53 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 7.43 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 2.48 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Adam Wainwright 93,455 to 44,617 — driven by per-season impact — 5,192 PIV per season to 2,479 — rather than by longevity, since Clayton Kershaw played 18 seasons to Adam Wainwright's 18. 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)
Adam Wainwright — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Clayton Kershaw leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Adam Wainwright leads 1: complete games. 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 Adam Wainwright careers compare
Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright were active at the same time between 2008 and 2023. The two careers are close in length, 455 games for Clayton Kershaw and 478 for Adam Wainwright across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Adam Wainwright are complete games (28 to 25). The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 7.43 and 2.48 for Adam Wainwright. Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games), and Adam Wainwright was mainly a starter (411 starts in 478 games). Clayton Kershaw allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.02 WHIP to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.
Clayton Kershaw vs Adam Wainwright: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Adam Wainwright?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Adam Wainwright in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Adam Wainwright's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Adam Wainwright's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Adam Wainwright's 2,202.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Adam Wainwright's 1.24.