Cliff Lee vs David Price: Career Stats Comparison
David Price 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; David Price played 2008–2022 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 David Price (2008–2022) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; David Price finished with 157 wins and 2,076 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? David Price, with 3.32 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? David Price, with 157 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Price, with 2,076 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Price, with 1.16 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Cliff Lee, with 2,156.2 to David Price's 2,143.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to David Price's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cliff Lee, with 41,719 career Pitcher PIV to David Price's 36,995.
Cliff Lee
David Price
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 | David Price |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 157 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 82 |
| Games | 328 | Leads: 400 |
| Games Started | Leads: 324 | 322 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 29 | 17 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 12 | 3 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 2,076 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 562 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 1,930 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 221 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,156.2 | 2,143.2 |
| ERA | 3.52 | Leads: 3.32 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.16 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | Leads: 8.72 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.36 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee leads David Price 41,719 to 36,995 — driven by per-season impact — 2,781 PIV per season to 2,312 — rather than by longevity, since Cliff Lee played 15 seasons to David Price's 16. 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)
David Price — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Price leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Cliff Lee owns innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Price. Note that PIV actually grades Cliff Lee ahead, which means David Price's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cliff Lee and David Price careers compare
The careers of Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and David Price (2008–2022) overlapped from 2008 to 2014, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 328 games for Cliff Lee and 400 for David Price across 15 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 8.72 and 2.36 for David Price. Both had the same role: Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games); David Price was mainly a starter (322 starts in 400 games). David Price allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.16 WHIP to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
Cliff Lee vs David Price: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or David Price?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Price leads Cliff Lee in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Price, with 3.32 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- David Price, with 157 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Price, with 2,076 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Price, with 1.16 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.