Clayton Kershaw vs Brandon Webb: Career Stats Comparison
Clayton Kershaw has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Brandon Webb played 2003–2009 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 Brandon Webb (2003–2009) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Brandon Webb finished with 87 wins and 1,065 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 Brandon Webb's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Brandon Webb's 87.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Brandon Webb's 1,065.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Brandon Webb's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Brandon Webb's 1,319.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Brandon Webb's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Brandon Webb's 32,131.
Clayton Kershaw
Brandon Webb
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Brandon Webb |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 87 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 62 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 199 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 198 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 1,065 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 435 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 1,200 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 92 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855.1 | 1,319.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.27 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 7.26 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 2.97 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Brandon Webb 93,455 to 32,131 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 4,590, across 18 seasons to 7. 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)
Brandon Webb — 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 Brandon Webb owns no headline categories. 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 Brandon Webb careers compare
Clayton Kershaw and Brandon Webb were active at the same time between 2008 and 2009. The table compares 455 games of Clayton Kershaw with 199 of Brandon Webb across 18 and 7 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Clayton Kershaw. By rate, Clayton Kershaw struck out 9.62 and walked 2.25 per nine innings; Brandon Webb struck out 7.26 and walked 2.97. Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games), and Brandon Webb was mainly a starter (198 starts in 199 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Brandon Webb's 1.24.
Clayton Kershaw vs Brandon Webb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Brandon Webb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Brandon Webb in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Brandon Webb's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Brandon Webb's 87.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Brandon Webb's 1,065.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Brandon Webb's 1.24.