Jon Lester vs David Price: Career Stats Comparison
Jon Lester and David Price are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jon Lester played 2006–2021 as a pitcher; David Price played 2008–2022 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 David Price (2008–2022) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jon Lester finished with 200 wins and 2,488 strikeouts; David Price finished with 157 wins and 2,076 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? David Price, with 3.32 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Jon Lester, with 200 to David Price's 157.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jon Lester, with 2,488 to David Price's 2,076.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Price, with 1.16 to Jon Lester's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Jon Lester, with 2,740.0 to David Price's 2,143.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jon Lester, with 4 to David Price's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? David Price, with 36,995 career Pitcher PIV to Jon Lester's 26,549.
Jon Lester
David Price
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 | Jon Lester | David Price |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 200 | 157 |
| Losses not scored | 117 | 82 |
| Games | Leads: 452 | 400 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 322 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 17 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 4 | 3 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,488 | 2,076 |
| Walks not scored | 892 | 562 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,610 | 1,930 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 294 | 221 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,740.0 | 2,143.2 |
| ERA | 3.66 | Leads: 3.32 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.16 |
| K/9 | 8.17 | Leads: 8.72 |
| BB/9 | 2.93 | Leads: 2.36 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Price outpaces Jon Lester 36,995 to 26,549 — driven by per-season impact — 2,312 PIV per season to 1,475 — rather than by longevity, since David Price played 16 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)
David Price — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Price leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jon Lester owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Price. PIV agrees: David Price 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 David Price careers compare
From 2008 through 2021, Jon Lester and David Price were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 452 games for Jon Lester and 400 for David Price across 18 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 8.17 strikeouts and 2.93 walks for Jon Lester, 8.72 and 2.36 for David Price. Both had the same role: Jon Lester was mainly a starter (451 starts in 452 games); David Price was mainly a starter (322 starts in 400 games). David Price allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.16 WHIP to Jon Lester's 1.28.
Jon Lester vs David Price: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Price, with 3.32 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Jon Lester, with 200 to David Price's 157.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jon Lester, with 2,488 to David Price's 2,076.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Price, with 1.16 to Jon Lester's 1.28.