Cliff Lee vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Justin Verlander has played 2005–present 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 Justin Verlander (2005–present) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cliff Lee, with 12 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Cliff Lee
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. 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.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Cliff Lee | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 159 |
| Games | 328 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 324 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 29 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 12 | 9 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156.2 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | 3.52 | Leads: 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Cliff Lee 68,171 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,099 PIV per season to 2,781, across 22 seasons to 15. 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)
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.
Related Matchups
How the Cliff Lee and Justin Verlander careers compare
From 2005 through 2014, Cliff Lee and Justin Verlander were in the majors together. The table compares 328 games of Cliff Lee with 557 of Justin Verlander across 15 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Cliff Lee's edges on the table are complete games (29 to 26), shutouts (12 to 9), and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.53). The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Cliff Lee vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Cliff Lee in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Justin Verlander, with 3.33 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.