Roger Clemens vs Dennis Martinez: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Dennis Martinez played 1976–1998 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 Dennis Martinez (1976–1998) — 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; Dennis Martinez finished with 245 wins and 2,149 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 Dennis Martinez's 3.70.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Dennis Martinez's 245.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Dennis Martinez's 2,149.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Dennis Martinez's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Dennis Martinez's 3,999.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Dennis Martinez's 30.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Dennis Martinez's 5,904.
Roger Clemens
Dennis Martinez
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 | Dennis Martinez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 245 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 193 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 692 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 562 |
| Complete Games | 118 | Leads: 122 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 30 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 8 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 2,149 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 1,165 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 3,897 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 372 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 3,999.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.70 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 4.84 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Dennis Martinez 146,187 to 5,904 — driven by per-season impact — 6,091 PIV per season to 246 — rather than by longevity, since Roger Clemens played 24 seasons to Dennis Martinez's 24. 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)
Dennis Martinez — 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 Dennis Martinez 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 Dennis Martinez careers compare
Roger Clemens and Dennis Martinez were active at the same time between 1984 and 1998. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 692 for Dennis Martinez across 24 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Dennis Martinez are complete games (122 to 118), saves (8 to 0), and walks per nine (2.62 to 2.89). The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 4.84 and 2.62 for Dennis Martinez. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Dennis Martinez was mainly a starter (562 starts in 692 games).
Roger Clemens vs Dennis Martinez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Dennis Martinez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Dennis Martinez in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Dennis Martinez's 3.70.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Dennis Martinez's 245.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Dennis Martinez's 2,149.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Dennis Martinez's 1.27.