Paul Skenes 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). Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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
Paul Skenes (2024–present) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Paul Skenes
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 2020s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes and Justin Verlander are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Skenes | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 31 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 24 | 159 |
| Games | 87 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 87 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | 1 | Leads: 26 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 586 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 123 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 376 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 495.0 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.62 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.65 | 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Paul Skenes 68,171 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 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).
Paul Skenes — 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, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Paul Skenes and Justin Verlander careers compare
Paul Skenes and Justin Verlander are both active, and their careers have run side by side since 2024. Justin Verlander has the far longer record, 557 games against 87 across 2 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are ERA (2.62 to 3.33), WHIP (1.01 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 8.96). The per-nine rows read 10.65 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Paul Skenes, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). In WHIP, Paul Skenes's 1.01 beats Justin Verlander's 1.14. Paul Skenes and Justin Verlander's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Paul Skenes vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Skenes or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Paul Skenes in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.