Roger Clemens vs Chris Sale: Career Stats Comparison
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 compiled 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Chris Sale put up 145 wins and 2,579 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Chris Sale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 354 | 145 |
| Losses | 184 | 88 |
| Games | 709 | 393 |
| Games Started | 707 | 312 |
| Complete Games | 118 | 16 |
| Shutouts | 46 | 3 |
| Saves | 0 | 12 |
| Strikeouts | 4,672 | 2,579 |
| Walks | 1,580 | 487 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,185 | 1,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 363 | 213 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,916 | 2,084 |
| ERA | 3.12 | 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | 1.05 |
| K/9 | 8.55 | 11.14 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | 2.10 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Chris Sale 146,187 to 65,834 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (6,091 vs 4,389 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)
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.