Robin Roberts vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Robin Roberts has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Robin Roberts played 1948–1966 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
Robin Roberts (1948–1966) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Robin Roberts finished with 286 wins and 2,357 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? Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Robin Roberts's 3.41.
- Who won more games? Robin Roberts, with 286 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Robin Roberts's 2,357.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Robin Roberts's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Robin Roberts, with 4,688.2 to Justin Verlander's 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Robin Roberts, with 45 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Robin Roberts's 49,794.
Robin Roberts
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 1940s 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 | Robin Roberts | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 286 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 245 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 676 | 557 |
| Games Started | Leads: 609 | 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 305 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 45 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 25 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,357 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 902 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,582 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 505 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,688.2 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | 3.41 | Leads: 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 4.52 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.73 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Robin Roberts 68,171 to 49,794 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,099 PIV per season to 2,371, across 22 seasons to 21. 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).
Robin Roberts — 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 strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Robin Roberts owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Robin Roberts and Justin Verlander careers compare
No season is shared: Robin Roberts played 1948–1966, Justin Verlander 2005–present. The two careers are close in length, 676 games for Robin Roberts and 557 for Justin Verlander across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Justin Verlander's edges on the table are strikeouts (3,560 to 2,357), ERA (3.33 to 3.41), and WHIP (1.14 to 1.17). The per-nine rows read 4.52 strikeouts and 1.73 walks for Robin Roberts, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Robin Roberts was mainly a starter (609 starts in 676 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Justin Verlander's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Robin Roberts vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Robin Roberts or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Robin Roberts leads Justin Verlander in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Robin Roberts's 3.41.
- Who won more games?
- Robin Roberts, with 286 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Robin Roberts's 2,357.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Robin Roberts's 1.17.