Roger Clemens vs Bret Saberhagen: 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; Bret Saberhagen played 1984–2001 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 Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen finished with 167 wins and 1,715 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 Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Bret Saberhagen's 2,562.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Bret Saberhagen's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Bret Saberhagen's 53,065.
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. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 167 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 117 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 399 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 371 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 76 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 16 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 1,715 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 2,562.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 6.02 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 1.65 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Bret Saberhagen 146,187 to 53,065 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 3,122, across 24 seasons to 17. 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)
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.
Related Matchups
How the Roger Clemens and Bret Saberhagen careers compare
Roger Clemens and Bret Saberhagen were active at the same time between 1984 and 2001. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Roger Clemens appeared in 709 games to Bret Saberhagen's 399. The green cells for Bret Saberhagen are saves (1 to 0), WHIP (1.14 to 1.17), and walks per nine (1.65 to 2.89). By rate, Roger Clemens struck out 8.55 and walked 2.89 per nine innings; Bret Saberhagen struck out 6.02 and walked 1.65. Both had the same role: Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games); Bret Saberhagen was mainly a starter (371 starts in 399 games).
Roger Clemens vs Bret Saberhagen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Bret Saberhagen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Bret Saberhagen in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Bret Saberhagen's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.