Andy Pettitte 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). Andy Pettitte played 1995–2013 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
Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — they debuted in the 1990s and the 2000s respectively and share 9 seasons. Andy Pettitte finished with 256 wins and 2,448 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 Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Andy Pettitte's 256.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Andy Pettitte's 2,448.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
- How many innings did each pitch? Andy Pettitte 3,316.0, Justin Verlander 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Andy Pettitte's 4.
Andy Pettitte
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 | Andy Pettitte | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 256 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 153 | 159 |
| Games not scored | 531 | 557 |
| Games Started not scored | 521 | 557 |
| Complete Games | 26 | 26 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,448 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 1,031 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,448 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,316.0 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | 3.85 | Leads: 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.64 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | 2.80 | Leads: 2.53 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander leads Andy Pettitte 68,171 to 57,293 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,246 PIV per season to 3,183, across 21 seasons to 18. 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).
Andy Pettitte — 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, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Andy Pettitte leads 0: no scored category. 1 is tied. 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 Andy Pettitte and Justin Verlander careers compare
The careers of Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) overlapped from 2005 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 531 games for Andy Pettitte and 557 for Justin Verlander across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Justin Verlander leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 6.64 strikeouts and 2.80 walks for Andy Pettitte, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Both had the same role: Andy Pettitte was mainly a starter (521 starts in 531 games); Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Justin Verlander's totals run through the 2026 season.
Andy Pettitte vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andy Pettitte or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Andy Pettitte in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Andy Pettitte's 256.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Andy Pettitte's 2,448.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.