Cliff Lee vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux 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). Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 as a pitcher; Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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
Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to Cliff Lee's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Cliff Lee
Greg Maddux
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 2000s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cliff Lee | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 227 |
| Games | 328 | Leads: 744 |
| Games Started | 324 | Leads: 740 |
| Complete Games | 29 | Leads: 109 |
| Shutouts | 12 | Leads: 35 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156.2 | Leads: 5,008.1 |
| ERA | 3.52 | Leads: 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.61 | 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 1.94 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Cliff Lee 133,509 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 2,781, across 25 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).
Cliff Lee — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Greg Maddux 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 Greg Maddux. PIV agrees: Greg Maddux grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cliff Lee and Greg Maddux careers compare
Cliff Lee and Greg Maddux were active at the same time between 2002 and 2008. The table compares 328 games of Cliff Lee with 744 of Greg Maddux across 15 and 25 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Cliff Lee comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (7.61 to 6.06). The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 6.06 and 1.80 for Greg Maddux. Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games), and Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games). Complete games (29 to 109) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Cliff Lee vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Cliff Lee in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.