Cliff Lee vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Cliff Lee compiled 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Justin Verlander put up 266 wins and 3,553 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Justin Verlander
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 | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | 266 |
| Losses | 91 | 158 |
| Games | 328 | 555 |
| Games Started | 324 | 555 |
| Complete Games | 29 | 26 |
| Shutouts | 12 | 9 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | 3,553 |
| Walks | 464 | 1,004 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,116 | 3,046 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 223 | 371 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156 | 3,567 |
| ERA | 3.52 | 3.32 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | 8.96 |
| BB/9 | 1.94 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Cliff Lee 68,171 to 41,719 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,099 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)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Cliff Lee owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Verlander. PIV agrees: Justin Verlander grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.