A. J. Burnett vs Jon Lieber: Career Stats Comparison
A. J. Burnett (1999–2015) and Jon Lieber (1994–2008) — both came up during the 1990s, so the matchup is a direct one. A. J. Burnett compiled 164 wins and 2,513 strikeouts; Jon Lieber put up 131 wins and 1,553 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
A. J. Burnett
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 | A. J. Burnett | Jon Lieber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 164 | 131 |
| Losses | 157 | 124 |
| Games | 435 | 401 |
| Games Started | 430 | 327 |
| Complete Games | 24 | 25 |
| Shutouts | 10 | 5 |
| Saves | 0 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,513 | 1,553 |
| Walks | 1,100 | 422 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,519 | 2,388 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 263 | 285 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,731 | 2,198 |
| ERA | 3.99 | 4.27 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | 8.28 | 6.36 |
| BB/9 | 3.62 | 1.73 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jon Lieber leads A. J. Burnett 27,226 to 24,537 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,945 vs 1,443 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).
A. J. Burnett — 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, A. J. Burnett leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Jon Lieber owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to A. J. Burnett. Note that PIV actually grades Jon Lieber ahead, which means A. J. Burnett's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.