Jon Lester vs Brandon Webb: Career Stats Comparison
Jon Lester has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Brandon Webb played 2003–2009 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 Brandon Webb (2003–2009) — both came up during the 2000s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jon Lester finished with 200 wins and 2,488 strikeouts; Brandon Webb finished with 87 wins and 1,065 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Brandon Webb, with 3.27 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games? Jon Lester, with 200 to Brandon Webb's 87.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jon Lester, with 2,488 to Brandon Webb's 1,065.
- Who had the better WHIP? Brandon Webb, with 1.24 to Jon Lester's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Jon Lester, with 2,740.0 to Brandon Webb's 1,319.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Brandon Webb, with 8 to Jon Lester's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Brandon Webb, with 32,131 career Pitcher PIV to Jon Lester's 26,549.
Jon Lester
Brandon Webb
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 | Brandon Webb |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 200 | 87 |
| Losses not scored | 117 | 62 |
| Games | Leads: 452 | 199 |
| Games Started | Leads: 451 | 198 |
| Complete Games | 15 | 15 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 8 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,488 | 1,065 |
| Walks not scored | 892 | 435 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,610 | 1,200 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 294 | 92 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,740.0 | 1,319.2 |
| ERA | 3.66 | Leads: 3.27 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.24 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.17 | 7.26 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.93 | 2.97 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Brandon Webb leads Jon Lester 32,131 to 26,549 — driven by per-season impact — 4,590 PIV per season to 1,475 — rather than by longevity, since Brandon Webb played 7 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)
Brandon Webb — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jon Lester leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Brandon Webb owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jon Lester. Note that PIV actually grades Brandon Webb ahead, which means Jon Lester's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jon Lester and Brandon Webb careers compare
From 2006 through 2009, Jon Lester and Brandon Webb were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jon Lester appeared in 452 games to Brandon Webb's 199. Where Brandon Webb comes out ahead, it is in shutouts (8 to 4), ERA (3.27 to 3.66), and WHIP (1.24 to 1.28). The per-nine rows read 8.17 strikeouts and 2.93 walks for Jon Lester, 7.26 and 2.97 for Brandon Webb. Both had the same role: Jon Lester was mainly a starter (451 starts in 452 games); Brandon Webb was mainly a starter (198 starts in 199 games). In WHIP, Brandon Webb's 1.24 beats Jon Lester's 1.28.
Jon Lester vs Brandon Webb: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jon Lester or Brandon Webb?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jon Lester leads Brandon Webb in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Brandon Webb, with 3.27 to Jon Lester's 3.66.
- Who won more games?
- Jon Lester, with 200 to Brandon Webb's 87.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jon Lester, with 2,488 to Brandon Webb's 1,065.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Brandon Webb, with 1.24 to Jon Lester's 1.28.