Tom Glavine vs Jon Lester: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Glavine 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). Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 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
Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Jon Lester (2006–2021) — 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; 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? Tom Glavine, with 3.54 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jon Lester, with 1.28 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Glavine, with 4,413.1 to Jon Lester's 2,740.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Glavine, with 25 to Jon Lester's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Glavine, with 40,421 career Pitcher PIV to Jon Lester's 26,549.
Tom Glavine
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 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 | Jon Lester |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 305 | 200 |
| Losses not scored | 203 | 117 |
| Games | Leads: 682 | 452 |
| Games Started | Leads: 682 | 451 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 25 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,607 | 2,488 |
| Walks not scored | 1,500 | 892 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,298 | 2,610 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 356 | 294 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,413.1 | 2,740.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.54 | 3.66 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.28 |
| K/9 | 5.32 | Leads: 8.17 |
| BB/9 | 3.06 | Leads: 2.93 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Glavine outpaces Jon Lester 40,421 to 26,549 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,837 PIV per season to 1,475, across 22 seasons to 18. 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)
Jon Lester — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Glavine leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Jon Lester owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Glavine. PIV agrees: Tom Glavine 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 Jon Lester careers compare
The careers of Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Jon Lester (2006–2021) overlapped from 2006 to 2008, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Tom Glavine appeared in 682 games to Jon Lester's 452. The green cells for Jon Lester are WHIP (1.28 to 1.31), strikeouts per nine (8.17 to 5.32), and walks per nine (2.93 to 3.06). By rate, Tom Glavine struck out 5.32 and walked 3.06 per nine innings; Jon Lester struck out 8.17 and walked 2.93.
Tom Glavine vs Jon Lester: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Glavine or Jon Lester?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Glavine leads Jon Lester in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Glavine, with 3.54 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jon Lester, with 1.28 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.