Sandy Koufax vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Sandy Koufax and Justin Verlander are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 as a pitcher; Justin Verlander has played 2005–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
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Sandy Koufax's 2,324.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Sandy Koufax, with 40 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Sandy Koufax's 63,020.
Sandy Koufax
Justin Verlander
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 1950s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Sandy Koufax | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 165 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 159 |
| Games | 397 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 314 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 137 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 9 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,396 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 817 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,754 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 204 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,324.1 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.76 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.28 | 8.96 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander edges Sandy Koufax 68,171 to 63,020 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Sandy Koufax's 12, while Sandy Koufax carries the higher per-season figure (5,252 to 3,099). 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).
Sandy Koufax — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Sandy Koufax owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Verlander. PIV agrees: Justin Verlander grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sandy Koufax and Justin Verlander careers compare
No season is shared: Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966, Justin Verlander 2005–present. The two careers are close in length, 397 games for Sandy Koufax and 557 for Justin Verlander across 12 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 9.28 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Sandy Koufax, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Complete games (137 to 26) show how differently the two eras used starters. Sandy Koufax allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.11 WHIP to Justin Verlander's 1.14. Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Sandy Koufax vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.