Clayton Kershaw vs Zack Wheeler: 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; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–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 Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 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 Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Zack Wheeler's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Wheeler's 39,270.
Clayton Kershaw
Zack Wheeler
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Zack Wheeler is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 3 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855.1 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 9.58 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Zack Wheeler 93,455 to 39,270 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 3,570, across 18 seasons to 11. 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)
Zack Wheeler — 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 Zack Wheeler 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 Zack Wheeler careers compare
Clayton Kershaw and Zack Wheeler were active at the same time between 2013 and 2025. With 455 games against 311 across 18 and 11 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Clayton Kershaw. The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Both had the same role: Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games); Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Zack Wheeler's 1.13. Because Zack Wheeler is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Clayton Kershaw vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Zack Wheeler in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Zack Wheeler's 1.13.