Justin Verlander vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Justin Verlander has played 2005–present as a pitcher; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–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
Justin Verlander (2005–present) and Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Wheeler's 39,270.
Justin Verlander
Zack Wheeler
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander and Zack Wheeler are still active — their totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Justin Verlander | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 266 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 159 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 557 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 557 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 26 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 9 | 3 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,560 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 1,007 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,057 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 374 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,576.2 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | 3.33 | Leads: 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 8.96 | Leads: 9.58 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.53 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Zack Wheeler 68,171 to 39,270 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Zack Wheeler's 11, while Zack Wheeler carries the higher per-season figure (3,570 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).
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Zack Wheeler — 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 Zack Wheeler 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 Justin Verlander and Zack Wheeler careers compare
Justin Verlander and Zack Wheeler are both active, and their careers have run side by side since 2013. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Justin Verlander has appeared in 557 games to Zack Wheeler's 311. Where Zack Wheeler comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.26 to 3.33), WHIP (1.13 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (9.58 to 8.96). The per-nine rows read 8.96 strikeouts and 2.53 walks for Justin Verlander, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games), and Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). Because Justin Verlander and Zack Wheeler are still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Justin Verlander vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Justin Verlander or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Zack Wheeler in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.