Josh Beckett vs Roger Clemens: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Josh Beckett played 2001–2014 as a pitcher; Roger Clemens played 1984–2007 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
Josh Beckett (2001–2014) and Roger Clemens (1984–2007) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Josh Beckett finished with 138 wins and 1,901 strikeouts; Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Josh Beckett's 3.88.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Josh Beckett's 138.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Josh Beckett's 1,901.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Josh Beckett's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Josh Beckett's 2,051.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Josh Beckett's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Josh Beckett's 25,548.
Josh Beckett
Roger Clemens
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Josh Beckett | Roger Clemens |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 138 | Leads: 354 |
| Losses not scored | 106 | 184 |
| Games | 335 | Leads: 709 |
| Games Started | 332 | Leads: 707 |
| Complete Games | 12 | Leads: 118 |
| Shutouts | 6 | Leads: 46 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,901 | Leads: 4,672 |
| Walks not scored | 629 | 1,580 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,897 | 4,185 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 238 | 363 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,051.0 | Leads: 4,916.2 |
| ERA | 3.88 | Leads: 3.12 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.17 |
| K/9 | 8.34 | Leads: 8.55 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.76 | 2.89 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Josh Beckett 146,187 to 25,548 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 1,703, across 24 seasons to 15. 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).
Josh Beckett — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Roger Clemens — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Clemens leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Josh Beckett owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roger Clemens. PIV agrees: Roger Clemens grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Josh Beckett and Roger Clemens careers compare
Josh Beckett and Roger Clemens were active at the same time between 2001 and 2007. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Josh Beckett appeared in 335 games to Roger Clemens's 709. The green cells for Josh Beckett are walks per nine (2.76 to 2.89). By rate, Josh Beckett struck out 8.34 and walked 2.76 per nine innings; Roger Clemens struck out 8.55 and walked 2.89. Josh Beckett was mainly a starter (332 starts in 335 games), and Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games). Complete games (12 to 118) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Josh Beckett vs Roger Clemens: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Josh Beckett or Roger Clemens?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Josh Beckett in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Josh Beckett's 3.88.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Josh Beckett's 138.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Josh Beckett's 1,901.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Josh Beckett's 1.23.