Roger Clemens vs Cliff Lee: 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; Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 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 Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 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 Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Cliff Lee's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Roger Clemens
Cliff Lee
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 143 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 328 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 324 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 29 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 12 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 2,156.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.52 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 7.61 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Cliff Lee 146,187 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 2,781, across 24 seasons to 15. 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)
Cliff Lee — 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 Cliff Lee 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 Cliff Lee careers compare
Roger Clemens and Cliff Lee were active at the same time between 2002 and 2007. Roger Clemens has the far longer record, 709 games against 328 across 24 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Cliff Lee are walks per nine (1.94 to 2.89). By rate, Roger Clemens struck out 8.55 and walked 2.89 per nine innings; Cliff Lee struck out 7.61 and walked 1.94. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games). Complete games (118 to 29) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Roger Clemens vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Cliff Lee in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.