Roy Halladay vs Cliff Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Halladay has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roy Halladay played 1998–2013 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
Roy Halladay (1998–2013) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Roy Halladay finished with 203 wins and 2,117 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? Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Roy Halladay, with 203 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roy Halladay, with 2,117 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Roy Halladay, with 2,749.1 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roy Halladay, with 20 to Cliff Lee's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Halladay, with 66,478 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Roy Halladay
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 1990s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Roy Halladay | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 203 | 143 |
| Losses not scored | 105 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 416 | 328 |
| Games Started | Leads: 390 | 324 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 67 | 29 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 20 | 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,117 | 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 592 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,646 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 236 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,749.1 | 2,156.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.38 | 3.52 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | 6.93 | Leads: 7.61 |
| BB/9 | 1.94 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Halladay outpaces Cliff Lee 66,478 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,155 PIV per season to 2,781, across 16 seasons to 15. 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).
Roy Halladay — 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, Roy Halladay leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Cliff Lee owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Halladay. PIV agrees: Roy Halladay grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee careers compare
From 2002 through 2013, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 416 games for Roy Halladay and 328 for Cliff Lee across 16 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Cliff Lee's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (7.61 to 6.93) and walks per nine (1.94 to 1.94). By rate, Roy Halladay struck out 6.93 and walked 1.94 per nine innings; Cliff Lee struck out 7.61 and walked 1.94. Both had the same role: Roy Halladay was mainly a starter (390 starts in 416 games); Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games).
Roy Halladay vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Halladay leads Cliff Lee in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Halladay, with 203 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roy Halladay, with 2,117 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.