Roger Clemens vs Justin Verlander: 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; Justin Verlander has played 2005–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 Justin Verlander (2005–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; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 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 Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Justin Verlander's 3,560.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to Justin Verlander's 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to Justin Verlander's 68,171.
Roger Clemens
Justin Verlander
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.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Roger Clemens | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 557 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 9 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.17 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 8.55 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | 2.89 | Leads: 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces Justin Verlander 146,187 to 68,171 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 PIV per season to 3,099, 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)
Justin Verlander — 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 Justin Verlander 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 Justin Verlander careers compare
From 2005 through 2007, Roger Clemens and Justin Verlander were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 709 games for Roger Clemens and 557 for Justin Verlander across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Justin Verlander's edges on the table are WHIP (1.14 to 1.17), strikeouts per nine (8.96 to 8.55), and walks per nine (2.53 to 2.89). By rate, Roger Clemens struck out 8.55 and walked 2.89 per nine innings; Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53. Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Roger Clemens vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads Justin Verlander in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to Justin Verlander's 3,560.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Roger Clemens's 1.17.