Jon Lester vs Pedro Martinez: Career Stats Comparison
Pedro Martinez 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). Jon Lester played 2006–2021 as a pitcher; Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 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
Jon Lester (2006–2021) and Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jon Lester finished with 200 wins and 2,488 strikeouts; Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Jon Lester's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Pedro Martinez, with 2,827.1 to Jon Lester's 2,740.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pedro Martinez, with 17 to Jon Lester's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pedro Martinez, with 113,314 career Pitcher PIV to Jon Lester's 26,549.
Jon Lester
Pedro Martinez
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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jon Lester | Pedro Martinez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 200 | Leads: 219 |
| Losses not scored | 117 | 100 |
| Games | 452 | Leads: 476 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 409 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 46 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 17 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,488 | Leads: 3,154 |
| Walks not scored | 892 | 760 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,610 | 2,221 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 294 | 239 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,740.0 | Leads: 2,827.1 |
| ERA | 3.66 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.05 |
| K/9 | 8.17 | Leads: 10.04 |
| BB/9 | 2.93 | Leads: 2.42 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Jon Lester 113,314 to 26,549 — driven by per-season impact — 6,295 PIV per season to 1,475 — rather than by longevity, since Pedro Martinez played 18 seasons to Jon Lester's 18. 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).
Jon Lester — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pedro Martinez leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jon Lester owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jon Lester and Pedro Martinez careers compare
The careers of Jon Lester (2006–2021) and Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) overlapped from 2006 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 452 games against 476 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Jon Lester are starts (451 to 409). The per-nine rows read 8.17 strikeouts and 2.93 walks for Jon Lester, 10.04 and 2.42 for Pedro Martinez. Both had the same role: Jon Lester was mainly a starter (451 starts in 452 games); Pedro Martinez was mainly a starter (409 starts in 476 games). Pedro Martinez allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.05 WHIP to Jon Lester's 1.28.
Jon Lester vs Pedro Martinez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jon Lester or Pedro Martinez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pedro Martinez leads Jon Lester in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Jon Lester's 200.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Jon Lester's 2,488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Jon Lester's 1.28.