Clayton Kershaw vs Early Wynn: Career Stats Comparison
Early Wynn has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Early Wynn played 1939–1963 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 Early Wynn (1939–1963) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Early Wynn finished with 300 wins and 2,334 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 Early Wynn's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Early Wynn, with 300 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Early Wynn's 2,334.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Early Wynn's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Early Wynn, with 4,564.0 to Clayton Kershaw's 2,855.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Early Wynn, with 49 to Clayton Kershaw's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Early Wynn's 25,348.
Clayton Kershaw
Early Wynn
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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Early Wynn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 223 | Leads: 300 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 244 |
| Games | 455 | Leads: 691 |
| Games Started | 451 | Leads: 612 |
| Complete Games | 25 | Leads: 290 |
| Shutouts | 15 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 15 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 2,334 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 1,775 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 4,291 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 338 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,855.1 | Leads: 4,564.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 4.60 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 3.50 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Early Wynn 93,455 to 25,348 — driven by per-season impact — 5,192 PIV per season to 1,102 — rather than by longevity, since Clayton Kershaw played 18 seasons to Early Wynn's 23. 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)
Early Wynn — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Early Wynn owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Early Wynn careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Early Wynn's ended in 1963, and Clayton Kershaw debuted in 2008. The table compares 455 games of Clayton Kershaw with 691 of Early Wynn across 18 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 9.62 strikeouts and 2.25 walks for Clayton Kershaw, 4.60 and 3.50 for Early Wynn. Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games), and Early Wynn was mainly a starter (612 starts in 691 games). Complete games (25 to 290) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Clayton Kershaw's 1.02 beats Early Wynn's 1.33.
Clayton Kershaw vs Early Wynn: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Early Wynn?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Early Wynn leads Clayton Kershaw in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Early Wynn's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Early Wynn, with 300 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Early Wynn's 2,334.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Early Wynn's 1.33.