Yu Darvish vs Jon Lester: Career Stats Comparison
Jon Lester 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). Yu Darvish played 2012–2025 as a pitcher; Jon Lester played 2006–2021 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
Yu Darvish (2012–2025) and Jon Lester (2006–2021) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Yu Darvish finished with 115 wins and 2,075 strikeouts; Jon Lester finished with 200 wins and 2,488 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Yu Darvish, with 3.65 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Jon Lester, with 200 to Yu Darvish's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jon Lester, with 2,488 to Yu Darvish's 2,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yu Darvish, with 1.14 to Jon Lester's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Jon Lester, with 2,740.0 to Yu Darvish's 1,778.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jon Lester, with 4 to Yu Darvish's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jon Lester, with 26,549 career Pitcher PIV to Yu Darvish's 25,371.
Yu Darvish
Jon Lester
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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Yu Darvish | Jon Lester |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 115 | Leads: 200 |
| Losses not scored | 93 | 117 |
| Games | 297 | Leads: 452 |
| Games Started | 297 | Leads: 451 |
| Complete Games | 2 | Leads: 15 |
| Shutouts | 1 | Leads: 4 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,075 | Leads: 2,488 |
| Walks not scored | 563 | 892 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,460 | 2,610 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 231 | 294 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,778.0 | Leads: 2,740.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.65 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.50 | 8.17 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.85 | 2.93 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jon Lester edges Yu Darvish 26,549 to 25,371 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jon Lester played 18 seasons to Yu Darvish's 14, while Yu Darvish carries the higher per-season figure (1,812 to 1,475). 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).
Yu Darvish — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jon Lester — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jon Lester leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Yu Darvish owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jon Lester. PIV agrees: Jon Lester grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Yu Darvish and Jon Lester careers compare
The careers of Yu Darvish (2012–2025) and Jon Lester (2006–2021) overlapped from 2012 to 2021, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Yu Darvish appeared in 297 games to Jon Lester's 452. Yu Darvish's edges on the table are ERA (3.65 to 3.66), WHIP (1.14 to 1.28), and strikeouts per nine (10.50 to 8.17). By rate, Yu Darvish struck out 10.50 and walked 2.85 per nine innings; Jon Lester struck out 8.17 and walked 2.93.
Yu Darvish vs Jon Lester: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Yu Darvish or Jon Lester?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jon Lester leads Yu Darvish in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Yu Darvish, with 3.65 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Jon Lester, with 200 to Yu Darvish's 115.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jon Lester, with 2,488 to Yu Darvish's 2,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yu Darvish, with 1.14 to Jon Lester's 1.28.