Who has been better? Verlander v Scherzer

[Greg Pappas]

I noticed all the dealing chatter about Verlander and Scherzer and it got me to looking up their careers. 

• Verlander (40.5 yo) had been in the AL for his entire career (18 seasons) until going to the Mets this year //  Scherzer (39 yo) pitched for 5 seasons in Detroit and 11 in the NL.  So, two extra years for Verlander and mostly no DH for Scherzer.
• Verlander won ROY, 3 Cy Youngs, 9 All Star selections, and an MVP //  Scherzer won 3 Cy Youngs, and has 8 All Star selections
• Verlander's career ERA is 3.24,  ERA+ is 132,  FIP is 3.38, and WHIP is 1.12  //  Scherzer's career ERA is 3.15,  ERA+ is 133,  FIP is 3.16 , and WHIP is 1.08

You can see more by checking out their links.

They are two great future HoF's and it's hard to distinguish who's been better in my eyes, though if push came to shove I'd go Verlander by the closest of margins because Scherzer had it easier in the NL. 

 

Who ya got? Thoughts?

Edited July 31, 2023 by Greg Pappas

[Moose Milligan]

I’ll do the OH thing and go with an option not given and say Kershaw. 

[Moose Milligan]

Jokes aside, give me Verlander. Not sure why, it’s just a feeling. Can’t go wrong with either choice. 

[Frobby]

That’s as close a decision as is possible. Two easy first ballot Hall of Famers.  This is a good place to use the BB-ref compare feature.   Overall I’d give a small edge to Scherzer because he’s better on most of the rate stats, but the fact that Verlander has been doing it longer also counts for something.   Honestly I’d want to see how their careers wrap up before making a final choice.   

[Frobby]

By the way, though he hasn’t been quite as durable and hasn’t been much of a postseason pitcher, I’d still have to take Kershaw over either one, based on his 157 ERA+ and .697 winning percentage.  Greinke is right up there too but I’d put him a half-notch below Verlander and Scherzer.  

[Aristotelian]

I think the MVP is a pretty huge feather in Verlander's cap. 16-11 in the postseason vs 7-7. Verlander is also +6 WAR.

[86this]

7 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

I think the MVP is a pretty huge feather in Verlander's cap. 16-11 in the postseason vs 7-7. Verlander is also +6 WAR.

And Kate Upton.  Oh, we're only considering baseball achievements.  

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:58 AM, Moose Milligan said:

Jokes aside, give me Verlander. Not sure why, it’s just a feeling. Can’t go wrong with either choice. 

I just hope we're talking this way about Grayson Rodriguez in fifteen years from now. And I'll take Verlander too, but it's very close.

[Just Regular]

Just read those two will face off in a big AL West race game next turn through the rotation.

Hopefully, youth and talent's perfect record at eventually overcoming age and accomplishment has already occurred in the case of Orioles Bats v. the Verlander-Scherzer group, should the situation arise next month.