Roger Clemens vs Gaylord Perry: Career Stats Comparison
Gaylord Perry has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Gaylord Perry played 1962–1983 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 Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Gaylord Perry finished with 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Gaylord Perry's 314.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Gaylord Perry's 3,534.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Gaylord Perry's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Gaylord Perry, with 5,350.1 to Roger Clemens's 4,916.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Roger Clemens's 46.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Gaylord Perry's 78,312.
Roger Clemens
Gaylord Perry
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Gaylord Perry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 314 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 265 |
| Games | 709 | Leads: 777 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 690 |
| Complete Games | 118 | Leads: 303 |
| Shutouts | 46 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 3,534 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 1,379 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 4,938 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 399 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,916.2 | Leads: 5,350.1 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 3.11 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 5.94 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.32 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Gaylord Perry 146,187 to 78,312 — driven by per-season impact — 6,091 PIV per season to 3,132 — rather than by longevity, since Roger Clemens played 24 seasons to Gaylord Perry's 25. 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)
Gaylord Perry — 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 Gaylord Perry owns ERA and innings pitched. 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 Gaylord Perry careers compare
Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) was finished before Roger Clemens (1984–2007) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 777 for Gaylord Perry across 24 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 5.94 and 2.32 for Gaylord Perry. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games). In WHIP, Roger Clemens's 1.17 beats Gaylord Perry's 1.18.
Roger Clemens vs Gaylord Perry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Gaylord Perry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Roger Clemens in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Gaylord Perry's 314.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Gaylord Perry's 3,534.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to Gaylord Perry's 1.18.