Cliff Lee vs Johan Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Johan Santana (2000–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Cliff Lee compiled 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Johan Santana put up 139 wins and 1,988 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Cliff Lee | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | 139 |
| Losses | 91 | 78 |
| Games | 328 | 360 |
| Games Started | 324 | 284 |
| Complete Games | 29 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 12 | 10 |
| Saves | 0 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | 1,988 |
| Walks | 464 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,116 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 223 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156 | 2,025 |
| ERA | 3.52 | 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | 8.83 |
| BB/9 | 1.94 | 2.52 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana leads Cliff Lee 48,732 to 41,719 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,061 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)
Johan Santana — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Johan Santana leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Cliff Lee owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Johan Santana. PIV agrees: Johan Santana grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.