Cliff Lee vs Ben Sheets: Career Stats Comparison
Cliff Lee has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Ben Sheets played 2001–2012 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 Ben Sheets (2001–2012) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Ben Sheets finished with 94 wins and 1,325 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 Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games? Cliff Lee, with 143 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cliff Lee, with 1,824 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cliff Lee, with 1.20 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Cliff Lee, with 2,156.2 to Ben Sheets's 1,596.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Ben Sheets's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cliff Lee, with 41,719 career Pitcher PIV to Ben Sheets's 28,864.
Cliff Lee
Ben Sheets
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 | Ben Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 143 | 94 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 328 | 250 |
| Games Started | Leads: 324 | 250 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 29 | 18 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 12 | 4 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,824 | 1,325 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 369 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 1,577 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,156.2 | 1,596.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.52 | 3.78 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.61 | 7.47 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cliff Lee outpaces Ben Sheets 41,719 to 28,864 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Cliff Lee played 15 seasons to Ben Sheets's 10, while Ben Sheets carries the higher per-season figure (2,886 to 2,781). 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)
Ben Sheets — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cliff Lee leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Ben Sheets owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cliff Lee. PIV agrees: Cliff Lee 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 Ben Sheets careers compare
The careers of Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Ben Sheets (2001–2012) 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 250 for Ben Sheets across 15 and 10 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Cliff Lee. The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 7.47 and 2.08 for Ben Sheets. Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games), and Ben Sheets was mainly a starter (250 starts in 250 games).
Cliff Lee vs Ben Sheets: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Ben Sheets?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cliff Lee leads Ben Sheets in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cliff Lee, with 3.52 to Ben Sheets's 3.78.
- Who won more games?
- Cliff Lee, with 143 to Ben Sheets's 94.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cliff Lee, with 1,824 to Ben Sheets's 1,325.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cliff Lee, with 1.20 to Ben Sheets's 1.22.