Jose Valverde vs Kerry Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Kerry Wood 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). Jose Valverde played 2003–2014 as a pitcher; Kerry Wood played 1998–2012 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
Jose Valverde (2003–2014) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jose Valverde finished with 27 wins and 692 strikeouts; Kerry Wood finished with 86 wins and 1,582 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jose Valverde, with 3.27 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Kerry Wood, with 86 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jose Valverde, with 1.20 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Kerry Wood, with 1,380.0 to Jose Valverde's 630.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kerry Wood, with 5 to Jose Valverde's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kerry Wood, with 20,852 career Pitcher PIV to Jose Valverde's 9,113.
Jose Valverde
Kerry Wood
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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jose Valverde | Kerry Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 27 | Leads: 86 |
| Losses not scored | 33 | 75 |
| Games | Leads: 626 | 446 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 178 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 11 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 288 | 63 |
| Strikeouts | 692 | Leads: 1,582 |
| Walks not scored | 264 | 666 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 490 | 1,083 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 67 | 148 |
| Innings Pitched | 630.1 | Leads: 1,380.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.27 | 3.67 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 9.88 | Leads: 10.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.77 | 4.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kerry Wood outpaces Jose Valverde 20,852 to 9,113 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,390 PIV per season to 759, across 15 seasons to 12. 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).
Jose Valverde
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Kerry Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kerry Wood leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Jose Valverde owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kerry Wood. PIV agrees: Kerry Wood grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jose Valverde and Kerry Wood careers compare
The careers of Jose Valverde (2003–2014) and Kerry Wood (1998–2012) overlapped from 2003 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 626 games against 446 across 12 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Jose Valverde struck out 9.88 and walked 3.77 per nine innings; Kerry Wood struck out 10.32 and walked 4.34. Their roles differ: Jose Valverde worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 626 games, 288 saves); Kerry Wood split time between starting and relief (178 starts in 446 games). Jose Valverde allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.20 WHIP to Kerry Wood's 1.27.
Jose Valverde vs Kerry Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jose Valverde or Kerry Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kerry Wood leads Jose Valverde in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jose Valverde, with 3.27 to Kerry Wood's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Kerry Wood, with 86 to Jose Valverde's 27.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kerry Wood, with 1,582 to Jose Valverde's 692.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jose Valverde, with 1.20 to Kerry Wood's 1.27.