Jon Lester vs Stephen Strasburg: Career Stats Comparison
Jon Lester (2006–2021) and Stephen Strasburg (2010–2022) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jon Lester compiled 200 wins and 2,488 strikeouts; Stephen Strasburg put up 113 wins and 1,723 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Jon Lester
Stephen Strasburg
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 | Jon Lester | Stephen Strasburg |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 200 | 113 |
| Losses | 117 | 62 |
| Games | 452 | 247 |
| Games Started | 451 | 247 |
| Complete Games | 15 | 2 |
| Shutouts | 4 | 2 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,488 | 1,723 |
| Walks | 892 | 394 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,610 | 1,217 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 294 | 149 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,740 | 1,470 |
| ERA | 3.66 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 8.17 | 10.55 |
| BB/9 | 2.93 | 2.41 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stephen Strasburg outpaces Jon Lester 41,364 to 26,549 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,182 vs 1,475 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).
Jon Lester — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Stephen Strasburg — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stephen Strasburg 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 Stephen Strasburg. PIV agrees: Stephen Strasburg grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.