Clayton Kershaw vs Carlos Zambrano: 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; Carlos Zambrano played 2001–2012 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 Carlos Zambrano (2001–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts; Carlos Zambrano finished with 132 wins and 1,637 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 Carlos Zambrano's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Carlos Zambrano's 132.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,637.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Clayton Kershaw, with 2,855.1 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,959.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 15 to Carlos Zambrano's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Carlos Zambrano's 16,362.
Clayton Kershaw
Carlos Zambrano
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 | Carlos Zambrano |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 132 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 455 | 354 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 302 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 25 | 10 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 5 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 1,637 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 898 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 1,709 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 161 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,855.1 | 1,959.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.53 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 7.52 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.25 | 4.13 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Carlos Zambrano 93,455 to 16,362 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 1,364, across 18 seasons to 12. 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)
Carlos Zambrano — 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 Carlos Zambrano 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 Carlos Zambrano careers compare
The careers of Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) and Carlos Zambrano (2001–2012) overlapped from 2008 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 455 games for Clayton Kershaw and 354 for Carlos Zambrano across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. 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; Carlos Zambrano struck out 7.52 and walked 4.13. Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games), and Carlos Zambrano was mainly a starter (302 starts in 354 games).
Clayton Kershaw vs Carlos Zambrano: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Carlos Zambrano?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Clayton Kershaw leads Carlos Zambrano in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Carlos Zambrano's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Carlos Zambrano's 132.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Carlos Zambrano's 1,637.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Carlos Zambrano's 1.33.