Roger Clemens vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Max Scherzer has played 2008–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 Max Scherzer (2008–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. 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 Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Max Scherzer's 225.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Max Scherzer's 3,557.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Max Scherzer's 3,047.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Max Scherzer's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Max Scherzer's 68,491.
Roger Clemens
Max Scherzer
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Max Scherzer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 225 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 501 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 492 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 12 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 5 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 3,557 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 814 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 2,511 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 369 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 3,047.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 8.55 | Leads: 10.50 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Max Scherzer 146,187 to 68,491 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 3,425, across 24 seasons to 20. 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)
Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Clemens leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Max Scherzer owns 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 Max Scherzer careers compare
Roger Clemens (1984–2007) was finished before Max Scherzer (2008–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 501 for Max Scherzer across 24 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Max Scherzer's edges on the table are WHIP (1.09 to 1.17), strikeouts per nine (10.50 to 8.55), and walks per nine (2.40 to 2.89). The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 10.50 and 2.40 for Max Scherzer. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games). Max Scherzer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Roger Clemens vs Max Scherzer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Max Scherzer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Max Scherzer in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Max Scherzer's 225.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Max Scherzer's 3,557.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.