Cliff Lee vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Cliff Lee and Johan Santana are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 as a pitcher; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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 Johan Santana (2000–2012) — both debuted in the 2000s. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Cliff Lee, with 143 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- How many innings did each pitch? Cliff Lee 2,156.2, Johan Santana 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Johan Santana's 10.
Cliff Lee
Johan Santana
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 143 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 78 |
| Games not scored | 328 | 360 |
| Games Started not scored | 324 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 29 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 12 | 10 |
| Saves not scored | 0 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,156.2 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | 3.52 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana leads Cliff Lee 48,732 to 41,719 — driven by per-season impact — 4,061 PIV per season to 3,209 — rather than by longevity, since Johan Santana played 12 seasons to Cliff Lee's 13. 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)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Cliff Lee and Johan Santana split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Johan Santana higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cliff Lee and Johan Santana careers compare
The careers of Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) overlapped from 2002 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 328 games for Cliff Lee and 360 for Johan Santana across 13 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Johan Santana are strikeouts (1,988 to 1,824), ERA (3.20 to 3.52), and WHIP (1.13 to 1.20). The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 8.83 and 2.52 for Johan Santana.
Cliff Lee vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Johan Santana, with 3.20 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Cliff Lee, with 143 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Johan Santana, with 1,988 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.