Bob Lemon vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison
Max Scherzer 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). Bob Lemon played 1941–1958 as a pitcher; Max Scherzer has played 2008–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
Bob Lemon (1941–1958) and Max Scherzer (2008–present) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Lemon finished with 207 wins and 1,277 strikeouts; Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Lemon, with 3.23 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Max Scherzer, with 225 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Max Scherzer, with 3,047.2 to Bob Lemon's 2,850.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Lemon, with 31 to Max Scherzer's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Scherzer, with 68,491 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Lemon's 14,410.
Bob Lemon
Max Scherzer
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, and the 1940s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Bob Lemon | Max Scherzer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 207 | Leads: 225 |
| Losses not scored | 128 | 126 |
| Games | 460 | Leads: 501 |
| Games Started | 350 | Leads: 492 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 188 | 12 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 31 | 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 22 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,277 | Leads: 3,557 |
| Walks not scored | 1,251 | 814 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,559 | 2,511 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 181 | 369 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,850.0 | Leads: 3,047.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.23 | 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.34 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 4.03 | Leads: 10.50 |
| BB/9 | 3.95 | Leads: 2.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Scherzer outpaces Bob Lemon 68,491 to 14,410 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,425 PIV per season to 1,108, across 20 seasons to 13. 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).
Bob Lemon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Max Scherzer leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Bob Lemon owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Scherzer. PIV agrees: Max Scherzer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Lemon and Max Scherzer careers compare
No season is shared: Bob Lemon played 1941–1958, Max Scherzer 2008–present. The two careers are close in length, 460 games for Bob Lemon and 501 for Max Scherzer across 13 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bob Lemon's edges on the table are complete games (188 to 12), shutouts (31 to 5), and saves (22 to 0). The per-nine rows read 4.03 strikeouts and 3.95 walks for Bob Lemon, 10.50 and 2.40 for Max Scherzer. Both had the same role: Bob Lemon was mainly a starter (350 starts in 460 games); Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games). Because Max Scherzer is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Bob Lemon vs Max Scherzer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Lemon or Max Scherzer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Max Scherzer leads Bob Lemon in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Lemon, with 3.23 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Max Scherzer, with 225 to Bob Lemon's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Bob Lemon's 1,277.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Bob Lemon's 1.34.