Tom Glavine vs Cliff Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Glavine 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). Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 as a pitcher; Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 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
Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 strikeouts; Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Cliff Lee, with 3.52 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cliff Lee, with 1.20 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Glavine, with 4,413.1 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Glavine, with 25 to Cliff Lee's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cliff Lee, with 41,719 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Glavine's 40,421.
Tom Glavine
Cliff Lee
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.
| Statistic | Tom Glavine | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 305 | 143 |
| Losses not scored | 203 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 682 | 328 |
| Games Started | Leads: 682 | 324 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 29 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 25 | 12 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,607 | 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 1,500 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,298 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 356 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,413.1 | 2,156.2 |
| ERA | 3.54 | Leads: 3.52 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.20 |
| K/9 | 5.32 | Leads: 7.61 |
| BB/9 | 3.06 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee edges Tom Glavine 41,719 to 40,421 — driven by per-season impact — 2,781 PIV per season to 1,837 — rather than by longevity, since Cliff Lee played 15 seasons to Tom Glavine's 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).
Tom Glavine — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cliff Lee — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cliff Lee leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Tom Glavine owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cliff Lee. PIV agrees: Cliff Lee grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Glavine and Cliff Lee careers compare
Tom Glavine and Cliff Lee were active at the same time between 2002 and 2008. Tom Glavine has the far longer record, 682 games against 328 across 22 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Cliff Lee's edges on the table are ERA (3.52 to 3.54), WHIP (1.20 to 1.31), and strikeouts per nine (7.61 to 5.32). The per-nine rows read 5.32 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Tom Glavine, 7.61 and 1.94 for Cliff Lee. Both had the same role: Tom Glavine was mainly a starter (682 starts in 682 games); Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games). In WHIP, Cliff Lee's 1.20 beats Tom Glavine's 1.31.
Tom Glavine vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Glavine or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Glavine leads Cliff Lee in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cliff Lee, with 3.52 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cliff Lee, with 1.20 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.