Roger Clemens vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roger Clemens played 1984–2007 as a pitcher; Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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 Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — both debuted in the 1980s. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Roger Clemens, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Roger Clemens's 354.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- How many innings did each pitch? Roger Clemens 4,916.2, Greg Maddux 5,008.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Greg Maddux's 35.
Roger Clemens
Greg Maddux
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 354 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 227 |
| Games not scored | 709 | 744 |
| Games Started not scored | 707 | 740 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 109 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 35 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,916.2 | 5,008.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens leads Greg Maddux 146,187 to 133,509 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 5,805, across 24 seasons to 23. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Roger Clemens leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Greg Maddux leads 3: wins, WHIP, and walks per nine. 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 Greg Maddux careers compare
Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux were active at the same time between 1986 and 2007. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 744 for Greg Maddux across 24 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Greg Maddux comes out ahead, it is in wins (355 to 354), WHIP (1.14 to 1.17), and walks per nine (1.80 to 2.89). By rate, Roger Clemens struck out 8.55 and walked 2.89 per nine innings; Greg Maddux struck out 6.06 and walked 1.80. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games).
Roger Clemens vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Greg Maddux in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Roger Clemens's 354.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.