Randy Johnson vs Cliff Lee: Career Stats Comparison
Randy Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Randy Johnson played 1988–2009 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
Randy Johnson (1988–2009) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Randy Johnson finished with 303 wins and 4,875 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? Randy Johnson, with 3.29 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Randy Johnson, with 303 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Randy Johnson, with 1.17 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Randy Johnson, with 4,135.1 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Randy Johnson, with 37 to Cliff Lee's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Randy Johnson, with 122,530 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Randy Johnson
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 1980s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Randy Johnson | Cliff Lee |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 303 | 143 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 91 |
| Games | Leads: 618 | 328 |
| Games Started | Leads: 603 | 324 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 100 | 29 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 37 | 12 |
| Saves | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,875 | 1,824 |
| Walks not scored | 1,497 | 464 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,346 | 2,116 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 411 | 223 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,135.1 | 2,156.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.29 | 3.52 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.61 | 7.61 |
| BB/9 | 3.26 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Randy Johnson outpaces Cliff Lee 122,530 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,105 PIV per season to 2,781, across 24 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).
Randy Johnson — 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, Randy Johnson 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 Randy Johnson. PIV agrees: Randy Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Randy Johnson and Cliff Lee careers compare
The careers of Randy Johnson (1988–2009) and Cliff Lee (2002–2014) overlapped from 2002 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Randy Johnson has the far longer record, 618 games against 328 across 24 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Cliff Lee comes out ahead, it is in walks per nine (1.94 to 3.26). The per-nine rows read 10.61 strikeouts and 3.26 walks for Randy Johnson, 7.61 and 1.94 for Cliff Lee. Both had the same role: Randy Johnson was mainly a starter (603 starts in 618 games); Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games).
Randy Johnson vs Cliff Lee: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Randy Johnson or Cliff Lee?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Randy Johnson leads Cliff Lee in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Randy Johnson, with 3.29 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Randy Johnson, with 303 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Randy Johnson, with 1.17 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.