Clayton Kershaw vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Cy Young played 1890–1911 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 Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Cy Young finished with 511 wins and 2,803 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 Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Cy Young's 2,803.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Clayton Kershaw's 2,855.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Clayton Kershaw's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Clayton Kershaw's 93,455.
Clayton Kershaw
Cy Young
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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 223 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 315 |
| Games | 455 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 451 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 25 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 15 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,855.1 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.25 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Clayton Kershaw 141,398 to 93,455 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 5,192, across 23 seasons to 18. 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)
Cy Young — 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 Cy Young owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Clayton Kershaw. Note that PIV actually grades Cy Young ahead, which means Clayton Kershaw's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Clayton Kershaw and Cy Young careers compare
No season is shared: Cy Young played 1890–1911, Clayton Kershaw 2008–2025. The table compares 455 games of Clayton Kershaw with 906 of Cy Young across 18 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Clayton Kershaw are strikeouts (3,052 to 2,803), ERA (2.53 to 2.63), and WHIP (1.02 to 1.13). By rate, Clayton Kershaw struck out 9.62 and walked 2.25 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Both had the same role: Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games).
Clayton Kershaw vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Clayton Kershaw in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Cy Young's 2,803.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Cy Young's 1.13.