Cliff Lee vs Jake Peavy: Career Stats Comparison
Jake Peavy has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Jake Peavy played 2002–2016 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 Jake Peavy (2002–2016) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Jake Peavy finished with 152 wins and 2,207 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 Jake Peavy's 3.63.
- Who won more games? Jake Peavy, with 152 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jake Peavy, with 2,207 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Jake Peavy, with 2,377.0 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Jake Peavy's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cliff Lee, with 41,719 career Pitcher PIV to Jake Peavy's 34,745.
Cliff Lee
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. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cliff Lee | Jake Peavy |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 152 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 126 |
| Games | 328 | Leads: 388 |
| Games Started | 324 | Leads: 377 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 29 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 12 | 6 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 2,207 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 708 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 2,134 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 259 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156.2 | Leads: 2,377.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.52 | 3.63 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.20 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | Leads: 8.36 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.68 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee leads Jake Peavy 41,719 to 34,745 — driven by per-season impact — 2,781 PIV per season to 1,930 — rather than by longevity, since Cliff Lee played 15 seasons to Jake Peavy's 18. 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)
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.
Related Matchups
How the Cliff Lee and Jake Peavy careers compare
Cliff Lee and Jake Peavy were active at the same time between 2002 and 2014. With 328 games against 388 across 15 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Cliff Lee are complete games (29 to 15), shutouts (12 to 6), and ERA (3.52 to 3.63). By rate, Cliff Lee struck out 7.61 and walked 1.94 per nine innings; Jake Peavy struck out 8.36 and walked 2.68. Both had the same role: Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games); Jake Peavy was mainly a starter (377 starts in 388 games). Jake Peavy allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.20 WHIP to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
Cliff Lee vs Jake Peavy: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Jake Peavy?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jake Peavy leads Cliff Lee in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cliff Lee, with 3.52 to Jake Peavy's 3.63.
- Who won more games?
- Jake Peavy, with 152 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jake Peavy, with 2,207 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.20.