Cliff Lee vs Jake Peavy: Career Stats Comparison
Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Jake Peavy (2002–2016) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Cliff Lee compiled 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Jake Peavy put up 152 wins and 2,207 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Jake Peavy
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 | Cliff Lee | Jake Peavy |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | 152 |
| Losses | 91 | 126 |
| Games | 328 | 388 |
| Games Started | 324 | 377 |
| Complete Games | 29 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 12 | 6 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | 2,207 |
| Walks | 464 | 708 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,116 | 2,134 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 223 | 259 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156 | 2,377 |
| ERA | 3.52 | 3.63 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | 8.36 |
| BB/9 | 1.94 | 2.68 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee leads Jake Peavy 41,719 to 34,745 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,781 vs 1,930 per year). 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)
Jake Peavy — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jake Peavy leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Cliff Lee owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jake Peavy. Note that PIV actually grades Cliff Lee ahead, which means Jake Peavy's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.