Roger Clemens vs Chris Sale: 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; Chris Sale has played 2010–present 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 Chris Sale (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Chris Sale's 2,779.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Chris Sale's 2,246.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Chris Sale's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Chris Sale's 65,834.
Roger Clemens
Chris Sale
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Chris Sale is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 159 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 97 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 420 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 339 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 17 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 12 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 2,779 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 518 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 1,821 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 2,246.2 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.04 |
| K/9 | 8.55 | Leads: 11.13 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Chris Sale 146,187 to 65,834 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 4,389, across 24 seasons to 15. 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)
Chris Sale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Clemens leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Chris Sale owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Chris Sale careers compare
No season is shared: Roger Clemens played 1984–2007, Chris Sale 2010–present. Roger Clemens has the far longer record, 709 games against 420 across 24 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 11.13 and 2.08 for Chris Sale. Both had the same role: Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games); Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games). The complete-game row, 118 against 17, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Chris Sale's 1.04 beats Roger Clemens's 1.17. Chris Sale's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Roger Clemens vs Chris Sale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Chris Sale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Chris Sale in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Chris Sale, with 2.95 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Chris Sale's 159.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Chris Sale's 2,779.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.