Cliff Lee vs Mike Mussina: Career Stats Comparison
Mike Mussina 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). Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 as a pitcher; Mike Mussina played 1991–2008 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 Mike Mussina (1991–2008) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Mike Mussina finished with 270 wins and 2,813 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 Mike Mussina's 3.68.
- Who won more games? Mike Mussina, with 270 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Mike Mussina, with 2,813 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mike Mussina, with 1.19 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Mike Mussina, with 3,562.2 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Mike Mussina, with 23 to Cliff Lee's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mike Mussina, with 76,572 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Cliff Lee
Mike Mussina
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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cliff Lee | Mike Mussina |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 270 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 153 |
| Games | 328 | Leads: 537 |
| Games Started | 324 | Leads: 536 |
| Complete Games | 29 | Leads: 57 |
| Shutouts | 12 | Leads: 23 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 2,813 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 785 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 3,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 376 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156.2 | Leads: 3,562.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.52 | 3.68 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.61 | 7.11 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 1.98 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mike Mussina outpaces Cliff Lee 76,572 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,254 PIV per season to 2,781, across 18 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)
Mike Mussina — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Mike Mussina 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 Mike Mussina. PIV agrees: Mike Mussina 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 Mike Mussina careers compare
Cliff Lee and Mike Mussina were active at the same time between 2002 and 2008. The table compares 328 games of Cliff Lee with 537 of Mike Mussina across 15 and 18 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Cliff Lee are ERA (3.52 to 3.68), strikeouts per nine (7.61 to 7.11), and walks per nine (1.94 to 1.98). The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 7.11 and 1.98 for Mike Mussina. Both had the same role: Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games); Mike Mussina was mainly a starter (536 starts in 537 games).
Cliff Lee vs Mike Mussina: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Mike Mussina?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Mike Mussina leads Cliff Lee in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cliff Lee, with 3.52 to Mike Mussina's 3.68.
- Who won more games?
- Mike Mussina, with 270 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Mike Mussina, with 2,813 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mike Mussina, with 1.19 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.