Warren Spahn vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Warren Spahn has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Warren Spahn played 1942–1965 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
Warren Spahn (1942–1965) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Warren Spahn finished with 363 wins and 2,583 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? Warren Spahn, with 3.09 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Warren Spahn, with 363 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Warren Spahn's 2,583.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Warren Spahn's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Warren Spahn, with 5,243.2 to Justin Verlander's 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Warren Spahn, with 63 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Warren Spahn's 63,558.
Warren Spahn
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 | Warren Spahn | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 363 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 245 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 750 | 557 |
| Games Started | Leads: 665 | 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 382 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 63 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,583 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 1,434 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,830 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 434 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,243.2 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.09 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 4.43 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.46 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander edges Warren Spahn 68,171 to 63,558 — driven by per-season impact — 3,099 PIV per season to 2,889 — rather than by longevity, since Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Warren Spahn'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).
Warren Spahn — 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, WHIP, and K/9, while Warren Spahn owns wins, ERA, 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 Warren Spahn and Justin Verlander careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Warren Spahn's ended in 1965, and Justin Verlander debuted in 2005. With 750 games against 557 across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Justin Verlander are strikeouts (3,560 to 2,583), WHIP (1.14 to 1.19), and strikeouts per nine (8.96 to 4.43). The per-nine rows read 4.43 strikeouts and 2.46 walks for Warren Spahn, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Warren Spahn was mainly a starter (665 starts in 750 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Complete games (382 to 26) show how differently the two eras used starters. Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Warren Spahn vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Warren Spahn or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Warren Spahn leads Justin Verlander in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Warren Spahn, with 3.09 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Warren Spahn, with 363 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Warren Spahn's 2,583.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Warren Spahn's 1.19.