Roger Clemens vs Bob Gibson: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 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 Bob Gibson (1959–1975) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1950s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Bob Gibson's 3,117.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Bob Gibson's 3,884.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Roger Clemens's 46.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Gibson's 69,720.
Roger Clemens
Bob Gibson
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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Bob Gibson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 251 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 174 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 528 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 482 |
| Complete Games | 118 | Leads: 255 |
| Shutouts | 46 | Leads: 56 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 6 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 3,117 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 1,336 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 3,279 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 257 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 3,884.1 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 2.91 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 7.22 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.89 | 3.10 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Bob Gibson 146,187 to 69,720 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 4,101, across 24 seasons to 17. 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)
Bob Gibson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Clemens leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Bob Gibson owns ERA. 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 Bob Gibson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Bob Gibson's ended in 1975, and Roger Clemens debuted in 1984. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 528 for Bob Gibson across 24 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Bob Gibson comes out ahead, it is in complete games (255 to 118), shutouts (56 to 46), and saves (6 to 0). The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 7.22 and 3.10 for Bob Gibson. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games).
Roger Clemens vs Bob Gibson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Bob Gibson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Bob Gibson in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Bob Gibson's 3,117.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.