Madison Bumgarner vs Cliff Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Madison Bumgarner 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). Madison Bumgarner played 2009–2023 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
Madison Bumgarner (2009–2023) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Madison Bumgarner finished with 134 wins and 2,070 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? Madison Bumgarner, with 3.47 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Cliff Lee, with 143 to Madison Bumgarner's 134.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Madison Bumgarner, with 2,070 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Madison Bumgarner, with 1.15 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Madison Bumgarner, with 2,209.1 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Madison Bumgarner's 7.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cliff Lee, with 41,719 career Pitcher PIV to Madison Bumgarner's 26,439.
Madison Bumgarner
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 | Madison Bumgarner | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 134 | Leads: 143 |
| Losses not scored | 124 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 358 | 328 |
| Games Started | Leads: 355 | 324 |
| Complete Games | 16 | Leads: 29 |
| Shutouts | 7 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,070 | 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 544 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,007 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,209.1 | 2,156.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.47 | 3.52 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.43 | 7.61 |
| BB/9 | 2.22 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee outpaces Madison Bumgarner 41,719 to 26,439 — driven by per-season impact — 2,781 PIV per season to 1,763 — rather than by longevity, since Cliff Lee played 15 seasons to Madison Bumgarner's 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).
Madison Bumgarner — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cliff Lee — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Madison Bumgarner leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Cliff Lee owns wins. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Madison Bumgarner. Note that PIV actually grades Cliff Lee ahead, which means Madison Bumgarner's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Madison Bumgarner and Cliff Lee careers compare
From 2009 through 2014, Madison Bumgarner and Cliff Lee were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 358 games for Madison Bumgarner and 328 for Cliff Lee across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Cliff Lee are wins (143 to 134), complete games (29 to 16), and shutouts (12 to 7). The per-nine rows read 8.43 strikeouts and 2.22 walks for Madison Bumgarner, 7.61 and 1.94 for Cliff Lee. Madison Bumgarner was mainly a starter (355 starts in 358 games), and Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games).
Madison Bumgarner vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Madison Bumgarner or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Madison Bumgarner leads Cliff Lee in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Madison Bumgarner, with 3.47 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Cliff Lee, with 143 to Madison Bumgarner's 134.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Madison Bumgarner, with 2,070 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Madison Bumgarner, with 1.15 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.