John Burkett vs Roger Clemens: Career Stats Comparison
John Burkett (1987–2003) and Roger Clemens (1984–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Burkett compiled 166 wins and 1,766 strikeouts; Roger Clemens put up 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
John Burkett
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | John Burkett | Roger Clemens |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 166 | 354 |
| Losses | 136 | 184 |
| Games | 445 | 709 |
| Games Started | 423 | 707 |
| Complete Games | 21 | 118 |
| Shutouts | 6 | 46 |
| Saves | 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,766 | 4,672 |
| Walks | 700 | 1,580 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,866 | 4,185 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 257 | 363 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,648 | 4,916 |
| ERA | 4.31 | 3.12 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | 1.17 |
| K/9 | 6.00 | 8.55 |
| BB/9 | 2.38 | 2.89 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces John Burkett 146,187 to 32,698 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (6,091 vs 2,044 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
John Burkett — 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 John Burkett 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.