Roger Clemens vs John Denny: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; John Denny played 1974–1986 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 John Denny (1974–1986) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; John Denny finished with 123 wins and 1,146 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 John Denny's 3.59.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to John Denny's 123.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to John Denny's 1,146.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to John Denny's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to John Denny's 2,148.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to John Denny's 18.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to John Denny's 11,165.
Roger Clemens
John Denny
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | John Denny |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 123 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 108 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 325 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 322 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 62 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 18 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 1,146 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 778 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 2,093 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 2,148.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.59 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 4.80 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.89 | 3.26 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces John Denny 146,187 to 11,165 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 798, across 24 seasons to 14. 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)
John Denny — 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 Denny 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 John Denny careers compare
Roger Clemens and John Denny were active at the same time between 1984 and 1986. The table compares 709 games of Roger Clemens with 325 of John Denny across 24 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Every scored category on the table goes to Roger Clemens. By rate, Roger Clemens struck out 8.55 and walked 2.89 per nine innings; John Denny struck out 4.80 and walked 3.26. Both had the same role: Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games); John Denny was mainly a starter (322 starts in 325 games). In WHIP, Roger Clemens's 1.17 beats John Denny's 1.34.
Roger Clemens vs John Denny: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or John Denny?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads John Denny in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to John Denny's 3.59.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to John Denny's 123.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to John Denny's 1,146.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to John Denny's 1.34.