Dan Haren vs Cliff Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Haren 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). Dan Haren played 2003–2015 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
Dan Haren (2003–2015) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dan Haren finished with 153 wins and 2,013 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 Dan Haren's 3.75.
- Who won more games? Dan Haren, with 153 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Haren, with 2,013 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Haren, with 1.18 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Haren, with 2,419.2 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Dan Haren's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cliff Lee, with 41,719 career Pitcher PIV to Dan Haren's 24,951.
Dan Haren
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 | Dan Haren | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 153 | 143 |
| Losses not scored | 131 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 391 | 328 |
| Games Started | Leads: 380 | 324 |
| Complete Games | 16 | Leads: 29 |
| Shutouts | 6 | Leads: 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,013 | 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 500 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,357 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 305 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,419.2 | 2,156.2 |
| ERA | 3.75 | Leads: 3.52 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | 7.49 | Leads: 7.61 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.86 | 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee outpaces Dan Haren 41,719 to 24,951 — driven by per-season impact — 2,781 PIV per season to 1,663 — rather than by longevity, since Cliff Lee played 15 seasons to Dan Haren's 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).
Dan Haren — 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, Dan Haren leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Cliff Lee owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Haren. Note that PIV actually grades Cliff Lee ahead, which means Dan Haren's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dan Haren and Cliff Lee careers compare
The careers of Dan Haren (2003–2015) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) overlapped from 2003 to 2014, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 391 games against 328 across 15 and 15 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Cliff Lee's edges on the table are complete games (29 to 16), shutouts (12 to 6), and ERA (3.52 to 3.75). The per-nine rows read 7.49 strikeouts and 1.86 walks for Dan Haren, 7.61 and 1.94 for Cliff Lee. Dan Haren was mainly a starter (380 starts in 391 games), and Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games). In WHIP, Dan Haren's 1.18 beats Cliff Lee's 1.20.
Dan Haren vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Haren or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Haren leads Cliff Lee in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cliff Lee, with 3.52 to Dan Haren's 3.75.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Haren, with 153 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Haren, with 2,013 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Haren, with 1.18 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.