Cliff Lee vs Andy Pettitte: Career Stats Comparison
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 compiled 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Andy Pettitte put up 256 wins and 2,448 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Cliff Lee | Andy Pettitte |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | 256 |
| Losses | 91 | 153 |
| Games | 328 | 531 |
| Games Started | 324 | 521 |
| Complete Games | 29 | 26 |
| Shutouts | 12 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | 2,448 |
| Walks | 464 | 1,031 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,116 | 3,448 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 223 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156 | 3,316 |
| ERA | 3.52 | 3.85 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | 6.64 |
| BB/9 | 1.94 | 2.80 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte outpaces Cliff Lee 57,293 to 41,719 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,183 vs 2,781 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)
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.