Roger Clemens vs Roy Oswalt: 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; Roy Oswalt played 2001–2013 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 Roy Oswalt (2001–2013) — 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; Roy Oswalt finished with 163 wins and 1,852 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 Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Roy Oswalt's 2,245.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Roy Oswalt's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Roy Oswalt's 55,095.
Roger Clemens
Roy Oswalt
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 | Roy Oswalt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 102 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 365 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 341 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 1,852 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 520 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 2,199 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 197 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 2,245.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.36 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 7.42 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Roy Oswalt 146,187 to 55,095 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 3,935, across 24 seasons to 14. 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)
Roy Oswalt — 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 Roy Oswalt 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 Roy Oswalt careers compare
From 2001 through 2007, Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Roger Clemens appeared in 709 games to Roy Oswalt's 365. Where Roy Oswalt comes out ahead, it is in walks per nine (2.08 to 2.89). The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 7.42 and 2.08 for Roy Oswalt. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Roy Oswalt was mainly a starter (341 starts in 365 games). The complete-game row, 118 against 20, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Roger Clemens vs Roy Oswalt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Roy Oswalt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Roy Oswalt in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Roy Oswalt's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Roy Oswalt's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Roy Oswalt's 1,852.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Roy Oswalt's 1.21.