Roger Clemens vs Bret Saberhagen: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens (1984–2007) and Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Roger Clemens compiled 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen put up 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Roger Clemens
Bret Saberhagen
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 354 | 167 |
| Losses | 184 | 117 |
| Games | 709 | 399 |
| Games Started | 707 | 371 |
| Complete Games | 118 | 76 |
| Shutouts | 46 | 16 |
| Saves | 0 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 4,672 | 1,715 |
| Walks | 1,580 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,185 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 363 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,916 | 2,562 |
| ERA | 3.12 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 8.55 | 6.02 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | 1.65 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Bret Saberhagen 146,187 to 53,065 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (6,091 vs 3,122 per year). 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)
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Clemens leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Bret Saberhagen owns 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.