Roger Clemens vs Paul Skenes: 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; Paul Skenes has played 2024–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 Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Roger Clemens
Paul Skenes
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 0 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 3.12 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 8.55 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Paul Skenes 146,187 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Roger Clemens played 24 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 6,091). 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)
Paul Skenes — 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 Paul Skenes 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
Roger Clemens (1984–2007) was finished before Paul Skenes (2024–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Roger Clemens appeared in 709 games to Paul Skenes's 87. Where Paul Skenes comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.62 to 3.12), WHIP (1.01 to 1.17), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 8.55). The per-nine rows read 8.55 strikeouts and 2.89 walks for Roger Clemens, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Both had the same role: Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Roger Clemens vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Paul Skenes in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Roger Clemens's 3.12.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.