Justin Verlander vs Dontrelle Willis: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Dontrelle Willis played 2003–2011 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 Dontrelle Willis (2003–2011) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Dontrelle Willis finished with 72 wins and 896 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Dontrelle Willis's 4.17.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Dontrelle Willis's 72.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Dontrelle Willis's 896.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Dontrelle Willis's 1.43.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Dontrelle Willis's 1,221.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Dontrelle Willis's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Dontrelle Willis's 5,459.
Justin Verlander
Dontrelle Willis
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Justin Verlander | Dontrelle Willis |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 266 | 72 |
| Losses not scored | 159 | 69 |
| Games | Leads: 557 | 205 |
| Games Started | Leads: 557 | 202 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 26 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 9 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,560 | 896 |
| Walks not scored | 1,007 | 500 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,057 | 1,251 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 374 | 114 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,576.2 | 1,221.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.33 | 4.17 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.43 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.96 | 6.60 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.53 | 3.68 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Dontrelle Willis 68,171 to 5,459 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,099 PIV per season to 546, across 22 seasons to 10. 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)
Dontrelle Willis — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Dontrelle Willis owns no headline categories. 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 Dontrelle Willis careers compare
The careers of Justin Verlander (2005–present) and Dontrelle Willis (2003–2011) overlapped from 2005 to 2011, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 557 games of Justin Verlander with 205 of Dontrelle Willis across 22 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Justin Verlander leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53 per nine innings; Dontrelle Willis struck out 6.60 and walked 3.68. Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games), and Dontrelle Willis was mainly a starter (202 starts in 205 games). Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Justin Verlander vs Dontrelle Willis: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Justin Verlander or Dontrelle Willis?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Dontrelle Willis in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Dontrelle Willis's 4.17.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Dontrelle Willis's 72.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Dontrelle Willis's 896.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Dontrelle Willis's 1.43.