Johan Santana vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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
Johan Santana (2000–2012) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 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? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Johan Santana, with 10 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Johan Santana's 48,732.
Johan Santana
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Johan Santana | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 139 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 78 | 159 |
| Games | 360 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 284 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 10 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,988 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 567 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,726 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 220 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,025.2 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.13 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 8.83 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.52 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Johan Santana 68,171 to 48,732 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Johan Santana's 12, while Johan Santana carries the higher per-season figure (4,061 to 3,099). 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).
Johan Santana — 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 Johan Santana 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 Johan Santana and Justin Verlander careers compare
Johan Santana and Justin Verlander were active at the same time between 2005 and 2012. The table compares 360 games of Johan Santana with 557 of Justin Verlander across 12 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 8.83 strikeouts and 2.52 walks for Johan Santana, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). In WHIP, Johan Santana's 1.13 beats Justin Verlander's 1.14. Justin Verlander owns the better peak by ERA: 2.53 ERA in 2008 for Johan Santana against 1.75 ERA in 2022 for Justin Verlander. Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Johan Santana vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Johan Santana or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Johan Santana in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.