Red Ruffing vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Red Ruffing 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). Red Ruffing played 1924–1947 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
Red Ruffing (1924–1947) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Red Ruffing finished with 273 wins and 1,987 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 Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games? Red Ruffing, with 273 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Red Ruffing, with 4,344.0 to Justin Verlander's 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Red Ruffing, with 45 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Red Ruffing's 17,432.
Red Ruffing
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 1920s 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 | Red Ruffing | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 273 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 225 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 624 | 557 |
| Games Started | 536 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 335 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 45 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,987 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 1,541 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,284 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 254 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,344.0 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | 3.80 | Leads: 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.34 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 4.12 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | 3.19 | Leads: 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Red Ruffing 68,171 to 17,432 — driven by per-season impact — 3,099 PIV per season to 758 — rather than by longevity, since Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Red Ruffing's 23. 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).
Red Ruffing — 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 Red Ruffing 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 Red Ruffing and Justin Verlander careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Red Ruffing's ended in 1947, and Justin Verlander debuted in 2005. With 624 games against 557 across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 4.12 strikeouts and 3.19 walks for Red Ruffing, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Both had the same role: Red Ruffing was mainly a starter (536 starts in 624 games); Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Complete games (335 to 26) show how differently the two eras used starters. Justin Verlander allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Red Ruffing's 1.34. Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Red Ruffing vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games?
- Red Ruffing, with 273 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.