Roger Clemens vs Bartolo Colon: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roger Clemens played 1984–2007 as a pitcher; Bartolo Colon played 1997–2018 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
Roger Clemens (1984–2007) and Bartolo Colon (1997–2018) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Bartolo Colon finished with 247 wins and 2,535 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Bartolo Colon's 4.12.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Bartolo Colon's 247.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Bartolo Colon's 2,535.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Bartolo Colon's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Bartolo Colon's 3,461.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Bartolo Colon's 13.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Bartolo Colon's 11,835.
Roger Clemens
Bartolo Colon
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, and the 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Bartolo Colon |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 247 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 188 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 565 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 552 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 38 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 13 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 2,535 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 948 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 3,593 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 439 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 3,461.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 4.12 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.31 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 6.59 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.46 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Bartolo Colon 146,187 to 11,835 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 515, across 24 seasons to 23. 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).
Roger Clemens — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bartolo Colon — 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 Bartolo Colon 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.
Related Matchups
How the Roger Clemens and Bartolo Colon careers compare
The careers of Roger Clemens (1984–2007) and Bartolo Colon (1997–2018) overlapped from 1997 to 2007, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 565 for Bartolo Colon across 24 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Bartolo Colon comes out ahead, it is in walks per nine (2.46 to 2.89). The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 6.59 and 2.46 for Bartolo Colon. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Bartolo Colon was mainly a starter (552 starts in 565 games).
Roger Clemens vs Bartolo Colon: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Bartolo Colon?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Bartolo Colon in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Bartolo Colon's 4.12.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Bartolo Colon's 247.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Bartolo Colon's 2,535.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Bartolo Colon's 1.31.