Roger Clemens vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens 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; Mariano Rivera played 1995–2013 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 Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Mariano Rivera finished with 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Mariano Rivera's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Mariano Rivera's 1,173.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Mariano Rivera's 1,283.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Mariano Rivera's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Mariano Rivera's 52,571.
Roger Clemens
Mariano Rivera
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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 82 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 60 |
| Games | 709 | Leads: 1,115 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 10 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 0 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 652 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 1,173 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Mariano Rivera 146,187 to 52,571 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 2,767, across 24 seasons to 19. 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)
Mariano Rivera
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Clemens leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Mariano Rivera owns ERA and WHIP. 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 Mariano Rivera careers compare
Roger Clemens and Mariano Rivera were active at the same time between 1995 and 2007. The table compares 709 games of Roger Clemens with 1,115 of Mariano Rivera across 24 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 8.22 and 2.01 for Mariano Rivera. Their roles differ: Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games); Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves). The complete-game row, 118 against 0, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Mariano Rivera's 1.00 beats Roger Clemens's 1.17.
Roger Clemens vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Mariano Rivera?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Mariano Rivera in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Mariano Rivera's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Mariano Rivera's 1,173.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.