Cliff Lee vs Pedro Martinez: Career Stats Comparison
Pedro Martinez has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 as a pitcher; Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 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 Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) — they debuted in the 2000s and the 1990s respectively and share 8 seasons. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Pedro Martinez, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- How many innings did each pitch? Cliff Lee 2,156.2, Pedro Martinez 2,827.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pedro Martinez, with 17 to Cliff Lee's 12.
Cliff Lee
Pedro Martinez
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Cliff Lee | Pedro Martinez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 219 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 100 |
| Games not scored | 328 | 476 |
| Games Started not scored | 324 | 409 |
| Complete Games | 29 | Leads: 46 |
| Shutouts | 12 | Leads: 17 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 3,154 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 760 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 2,221 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 239 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,156.2 | 2,827.1 |
| ERA | 3.52 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.05 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | Leads: 10.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.42 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Cliff Lee 113,314 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,295 PIV per season to 3,209, across 18 seasons to 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Pedro Martinez leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Cliff Lee leads 1: walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez 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 Pedro Martinez careers compare
The careers of Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) overlapped from 2002 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 328 games against 476 across 13 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Cliff Lee's edges on the table are walks per nine (1.94 to 2.42). The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 10.04 and 2.42 for Pedro Martinez. Both had the same role: Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games); Pedro Martinez was mainly a starter (409 starts in 476 games). Pedro Martinez allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.05 WHIP to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
Cliff Lee vs Pedro Martinez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Pedro Martinez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pedro Martinez leads Cliff Lee in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.