Tom Seaver vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 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
Tom Seaver (1967–1986) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 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? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Justin Verlander's 3,560.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Seaver, with 4,782.2 to Justin Verlander's 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Seaver, with 79,192 career Pitcher PIV to Justin Verlander's 68,171.
Tom Seaver
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 1960s 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 | Tom Seaver | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 311 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 205 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 656 | 557 |
| Games Started | Leads: 647 | 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 231 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 61 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,640 | 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 1,390 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,971 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 380 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,782.2 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.85 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | 2.62 | Leads: 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver leads Justin Verlander 79,192 to 68,171 — driven by per-season impact — 3,600 PIV per season to 3,099 — rather than by longevity, since Tom Seaver played 22 seasons to Justin Verlander's 22. 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).
Tom Seaver — 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, Tom Seaver leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Justin Verlander owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Seaver. PIV agrees: Tom Seaver grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Seaver and Justin Verlander careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Tom Seaver's ended in 1986, and Justin Verlander debuted in 2005. The two careers are close in length, 656 games for Tom Seaver and 557 for Justin Verlander across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Justin Verlander are strikeouts per nine (8.96 to 6.85) and walks per nine (2.53 to 2.62). The per-nine rows read 6.85 strikeouts and 2.62 walks for Tom Seaver, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Both had the same role: Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games); 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.
Tom Seaver vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Seaver or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Justin Verlander in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Justin Verlander's 3,560.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.