Cliff Lee vs Andy Pettitte: Career Stats Comparison
Cliff Lee has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Andy Pettitte played 1995–2013 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 Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) — 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; Andy Pettitte finished with 256 wins and 2,448 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 Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games? Andy Pettitte, with 256 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cliff Lee, with 1.20 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Andy Pettitte, with 3,316.0 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Andy Pettitte's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Andy Pettitte, with 57,293 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Cliff Lee
Andy Pettitte
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 | Andy Pettitte |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 256 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 153 |
| Games | 328 | Leads: 531 |
| Games Started | 324 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 29 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 12 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 2,448 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 1,031 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 3,448 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156.2 | Leads: 3,316.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.52 | 3.85 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.61 | 6.64 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.80 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte outpaces Cliff Lee 57,293 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,183 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)
Andy Pettitte — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Andy Pettitte leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Cliff Lee owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Andy Pettitte. PIV agrees: Andy Pettitte 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 Andy Pettitte careers compare
The careers of Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) overlapped from 2002 to 2013, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Cliff Lee appeared in 328 games to Andy Pettitte's 531. The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 6.64 and 2.80 for Andy Pettitte. Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games), and Andy Pettitte was mainly a starter (521 starts in 531 games). Cliff Lee allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.20 WHIP to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
Cliff Lee vs Andy Pettitte: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Andy Pettitte?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cliff Lee leads Andy Pettitte in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cliff Lee, with 3.52 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games?
- Andy Pettitte, with 256 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Andy Pettitte, with 2,448 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cliff Lee, with 1.20 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.