Dan Haren vs Jon Lester: Career Stats Comparison

Dan Haren (2003–2015) and Jon Lester (2006–2021) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Dan Haren compiled 153 wins and 2,013 strikeouts; Jon Lester put up 200 wins and 2,488 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Dan Haren

Pitcher · 2003–2015
Wins
153
Losses
131
Strikeouts
2,013
ERA
3.75
WHIP
1.18
IP
2,419
View Dan Haren's full profile →

Jon Lester

Pitcher · 2006–2021
Wins
200
Losses
117
Strikeouts
2,488
ERA
3.66
WHIP
1.28
IP
2,740
View Jon Lester's full profile →

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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.

Statistic Dan Haren Jon Lester
Wins 153 200
Losses 131 117
Games 391 452
Games Started 380 451
Complete Games 16 15
Shutouts 6 4
Saves 1 0
Strikeouts 2,013 2,488
Walks 500 892
Hits Allowed 2,357 2,610
Home Runs Allowed 305 294
Innings Pitched 2,419 2,740
ERA 3.75 3.66
WHIP 1.18 1.28
K/9 7.49 8.17
BB/9 1.86 2.93

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jon Lester edges Dan Haren 26,549 to 24,951 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,475 vs 1,663 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Dan Haren
24,951
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,663 per season (15 seasons)
Jon Lester
26,549
Career Pitcher PIV · 1,475 per season (18 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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)

20073.07 ERA15-9, 192 K in 222 IP
20093.14 ERA14-10, 223 K in 229 IP
20113.17 ERA16-10, 192 K in 238 IP

Jon Lester — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

20162.44 ERA19-5, 197 K in 202 IP
20142.52 ERA10-7, 149 K in 143 IP
20083.21 ERA16-6, 152 K in 210 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Jon Lester leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Dan Haren owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jon Lester. PIV agrees: Jon Lester grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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