Juan Marichal vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal 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). Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 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? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Juan Marichal's 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Juan Marichal's 48,870.
Juan Marichal
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 1960s 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 | Juan Marichal | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 243 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 159 |
| Games | 471 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 457 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 244 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 52 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,303 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 709 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,153 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 320 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,507.1 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.10 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.91 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Juan Marichal 68,171 to 48,870 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,099 PIV per season to 3,054, across 22 seasons to 16. 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).
Juan Marichal — 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, K/9, and innings pitched, while Juan Marichal owns ERA and WHIP. 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 Juan Marichal and Justin Verlander careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Juan Marichal's ended in 1975, and Justin Verlander debuted in 2005. With 471 games against 557 across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Juan Marichal struck out 5.91 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53. Both had the same role: Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games); Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Complete games (244 to 26) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Juan Marichal's 1.10 beats Justin Verlander's 1.14. Justin Verlander's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Juan Marichal vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.