Roger Clemens vs Lefty Grove: 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; Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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 Lefty Grove (1925–1941) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Lefty Grove's 300.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Lefty Grove's 3,940.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Lefty Grove's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Lefty Grove's 81,321.
Roger Clemens
Lefty Grove
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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Lefty Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 300 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 141 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 616 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 118 | Leads: 298 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 35 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 55 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 2,266 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 1,187 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 3,849 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 162 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 3,940.2 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 3.06 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 5.18 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.71 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Lefty Grove 146,187 to 81,321 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 4,784, 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)
Lefty Grove — 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 Lefty Grove 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 Lefty Grove careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Lefty Grove's ended in 1941, and Roger Clemens debuted in 1984. With 709 games against 616 across 24 and 17 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Lefty Grove's edges on the table are complete games (298 to 118), saves (55 to 0), and ERA (3.06 to 3.12). The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 5.18 and 2.71 for Lefty Grove. Both had the same role: Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games); Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games). In WHIP, Roger Clemens's 1.17 beats Lefty Grove's 1.28.
Roger Clemens vs Lefty Grove: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Lefty Grove?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Lefty Grove in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Lefty Grove's 300.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.