Comparing Clayton Kershaw to the Best Pitchers in Baseball
Kershaw vs. Cueto
| FIP | ERA | WHIP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kershaw | 1.75 | 1.78 | 0.86 |
| 2 | Cueto | 3.14 | 2.05 | 0.91 |
These two are only separated by 0.05 points in WHIP, setting them atop the NL in this category. One outing that gave Kershaw the big push past Cueto was his no-hitter that should have been a perfect game. Outside of that masterful start, he has a 0.92 WHIP, but Kershaw’s WHIP has held down so low mainly because he has had six outings where he didn’t walk a batter. Three of those outings came when he went eight or more innings.
It’s clear that walks are more of an issue for Cueto when comparing their FIPs as well. Cueto has let up nine more home runs, doubling Kershaw’s HR/9 (although both are very low). In addition to doubling Kershaw’s BB/9, too, Cueto has hit nine batters to Kershaw’s one, so it’s no shock that his FIP is larger than Kershaw’s by almost 80%.
