Rafael Betancourt vs Cliff Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Cliff Lee has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rafael Betancourt played 2003–2015 as a pitcher; Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 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
Rafael Betancourt (2003–2015) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rafael Betancourt finished with 38 wins and 724 strikeouts; Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rafael Betancourt, with 3.36 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Cliff Lee, with 143 to Rafael Betancourt's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cliff Lee, with 1,824 to Rafael Betancourt's 724.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rafael Betancourt, with 1.11 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Cliff Lee, with 2,156.2 to Rafael Betancourt's 685.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Rafael Betancourt's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cliff Lee, with 41,719 career Pitcher PIV to Rafael Betancourt's 20,765.
Rafael Betancourt
Cliff Lee
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.
| Statistic | Rafael Betancourt | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 38 | Leads: 143 |
| Losses not scored | 37 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 680 | 328 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 324 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 29 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 75 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 724 | Leads: 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 164 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 596 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 71 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | 685.2 | Leads: 2,156.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.36 | 3.52 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.50 | 7.61 |
| BB/9 | 2.15 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee outpaces Rafael Betancourt 41,719 to 20,765 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,781 PIV per season to 1,597, across 15 seasons to 13. 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).
Rafael Betancourt
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Cliff Lee — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cliff Lee leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Rafael Betancourt owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cliff Lee. PIV agrees: Cliff Lee grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rafael Betancourt and Cliff Lee careers compare
The careers of Rafael Betancourt (2003–2015) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) overlapped from 2003 to 2014, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Rafael Betancourt appeared in 680 games to Cliff Lee's 328. The per-nine rows read 9.50 strikeouts and 2.15 walks for Rafael Betancourt, 7.61 and 1.94 for Cliff Lee. Rafael Betancourt worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 680 games, 75 saves), while Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games). In WHIP, Rafael Betancourt's 1.11 beats Cliff Lee's 1.20.
Rafael Betancourt vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rafael Betancourt or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cliff Lee leads Rafael Betancourt in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rafael Betancourt, with 3.36 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Cliff Lee, with 143 to Rafael Betancourt's 38.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cliff Lee, with 1,824 to Rafael Betancourt's 724.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rafael Betancourt, with 1.11 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.