John Burkett vs Jon Lieber: Career Stats Comparison
John Burkett (1987–2003) and Jon Lieber (1994–2008) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Burkett compiled 166 wins and 1,766 strikeouts; Jon Lieber put up 131 wins and 1,553 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
John Burkett
Jon Lieber
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 | Jon Lieber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 166 | 131 |
| Losses | 136 | 124 |
| Games | 445 | 401 |
| Games Started | 423 | 327 |
| Complete Games | 21 | 25 |
| Shutouts | 6 | 5 |
| Saves | 1 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 1,766 | 1,553 |
| Walks | 700 | 422 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,866 | 2,388 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 257 | 285 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,648 | 2,198 |
| ERA | 4.31 | 4.27 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | 6.00 | 6.36 |
| BB/9 | 2.38 | 1.73 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Burkett leads Jon Lieber 32,698 to 27,226 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,044 vs 1,945 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)
Jon Lieber — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Burkett leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Jon Lieber owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Burkett. PIV agrees: John Burkett grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.