Zack Greinke vs Cliff Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Zack Greinke has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Zack Greinke played 2004–2023 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
Zack Greinke (2004–2023) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins and 2,979 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? Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Zack Greinke, with 225 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Zack Greinke, with 3,389.1 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Zack Greinke's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Greinke, with 58,246 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Zack Greinke
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Zack Greinke | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 143 |
| Losses not scored | 156 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 586 | 328 |
| Games Started | Leads: 541 | 324 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 29 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,979 | 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 762 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,207 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 367 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,389.1 | 2,156.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.49 | 3.52 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.91 | 7.61 |
| BB/9 | 2.02 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Greinke outpaces Cliff Lee 58,246 to 41,719 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Zack Greinke played 22 seasons to Cliff Lee's 15, while Cliff Lee carries the higher per-season figure (2,781 to 2,648). 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).
Zack Greinke — 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, Zack Greinke leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Cliff Lee owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Zack Greinke. PIV agrees: Zack Greinke grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Zack Greinke and Cliff Lee careers compare
From 2004 through 2014, Zack Greinke and Cliff Lee were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Zack Greinke appeared in 586 games to Cliff Lee's 328. The green cells for Cliff Lee are complete games (29 to 17), shutouts (12 to 5), and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.02). The per-nine rows read 7.91 strikeouts and 2.02 walks for Zack Greinke, 7.61 and 1.94 for Cliff Lee. Both had the same role: Zack Greinke was mainly a starter (541 starts in 586 games); Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games).
Zack Greinke vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Zack Greinke or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Zack Greinke leads Cliff Lee in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Greinke, with 3.49 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Zack Greinke, with 225 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Zack Greinke, with 2,979 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Greinke, with 1.17 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.