Roger Clemens vs Tom Seaver: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens and Tom Seaver are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roger Clemens played 1984–2007 as a pitcher; Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 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 Tom Seaver (1967–1986) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Tom Seaver's 311.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Tom Seaver's 3,640.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Tom Seaver's 4,782.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Roger Clemens's 46.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Seaver's 79,192.
Roger Clemens
Tom Seaver
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Tom Seaver |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 311 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 205 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 656 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 647 |
| Complete Games | 118 | Leads: 231 |
| Shutouts | 46 | Leads: 61 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 3,640 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 1,390 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 3,971 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 380 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 4,782.2 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 6.85 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Tom Seaver 146,187 to 79,192 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 3,600, across 24 seasons to 22. 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)
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roger Clemens leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Tom Seaver owns ERA and 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 Tom Seaver careers compare
The careers of Roger Clemens (1984–2007) and Tom Seaver (1967–1986) overlapped from 1984 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 656 for Tom Seaver across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Roger Clemens struck out 8.55 and walked 2.89 per nine innings; Tom Seaver struck out 6.85 and walked 2.62. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games). In WHIP, Tom Seaver's 1.12 beats Roger Clemens's 1.17.
Roger Clemens vs Tom Seaver: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Tom Seaver's 311.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Tom Seaver's 3,640.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.