Clayton Kershaw vs Dontrelle Willis: 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; Dontrelle Willis played 2003–2011 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 Dontrelle Willis (2003–2011) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Dontrelle Willis finished with 72 wins and 896 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 Dontrelle Willis's 4.17.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Dontrelle Willis's 72.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Dontrelle Willis's 896.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Dontrelle Willis's 1.43.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Dontrelle Willis's 1,221.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Dontrelle Willis's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Dontrelle Willis's 5,459.
Clayton Kershaw
Dontrelle Willis
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 | Dontrelle Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 72 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 69 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 205 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 202 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 896 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 500 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 1,251 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 114 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855.1 | 1,221.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 4.17 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.43 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 6.60 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 3.68 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Dontrelle Willis 93,455 to 5,459 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 546, across 18 seasons to 10. 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)
Dontrelle Willis — 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 Dontrelle Willis 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 Dontrelle Willis careers compare
From 2008 through 2011, Clayton Kershaw and Dontrelle Willis were in the majors together. Clayton Kershaw has the far longer record, 455 games against 205 across 18 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Clayton Kershaw leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 6.60 and 3.68 for Dontrelle Willis. Both had the same role: Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games); Dontrelle Willis was mainly a starter (202 starts in 205 games). In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Dontrelle Willis's 1.43.
Clayton Kershaw vs Dontrelle Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Dontrelle Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Dontrelle Willis in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Dontrelle Willis's 4.17.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Dontrelle Willis's 72.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Dontrelle Willis's 896.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Dontrelle Willis's 1.43.