Roy Oswalt vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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
Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — both debuted in the 2000s. Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through the 2026 season. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Justin Verlander, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
- How many innings did each pitch? Roy Oswalt 2,245.1, Justin Verlander 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
Roy Oswalt
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Roy Oswalt | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 102 | 159 |
| Games not scored | 365 | 557 |
| Games Started not scored | 341 | 557 |
| Complete Games | 20 | Leads: 26 |
| Shutouts | 8 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,852 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 520 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,199 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 197 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,245.1 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | 3.36 | Leads: 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.42 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.08 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander leads Roy Oswalt 68,171 to 55,095 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 21 seasons to Roy Oswalt's 13, while Roy Oswalt carries the higher per-season figure (4,238 to 3,246). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Roy Oswalt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Justin Verlander leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Roy Oswalt leads 1: walks per nine. 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 Roy Oswalt and Justin Verlander careers compare
The careers of Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) overlapped from 2005 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 365 games of Roy Oswalt with 557 of Justin Verlander across 13 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Roy Oswalt are walks per nine (2.08 to 2.53). The per-nine rows read 7.42 strikeouts and 2.08 walks for Roy Oswalt, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Both had the same role: Roy Oswalt was mainly a starter (341 starts in 365 games); Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Justin Verlander's totals run through the 2026 season.
Roy Oswalt vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Oswalt or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Roy Oswalt in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.