Bert Blyleven vs John Smoltz: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven 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). Bert Blyleven played 1970–1992 as a pitcher; John Smoltz played 1988–2009 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
Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and John Smoltz (1988–2009) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to John Smoltz's 3,084.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Smoltz, with 1.18 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Bert Blyleven, with 4,970.0 to John Smoltz's 3,473.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to John Smoltz's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Bert Blyleven's 74,910.
Bert Blyleven
John Smoltz
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bert Blyleven | John Smoltz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 213 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 155 |
| Games | 692 | Leads: 723 |
| Games Started | Leads: 685 | 481 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 242 | 53 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 16 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 154 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 3,084 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 1,010 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 3,074 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,970.0 | 3,473.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.31 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | 6.70 | Leads: 7.99 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz leads Bert Blyleven 91,907 to 74,910 — driven by per-season impact — 4,178 PIV per season to 3,121 — rather than by longevity, since John Smoltz played 22 seasons to Bert Blyleven's 24. 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).
Bert Blyleven — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
John Smoltz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while John Smoltz owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bert Blyleven. Note that PIV actually grades John Smoltz ahead, which means Bert Blyleven's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bert Blyleven and John Smoltz careers compare
The careers of Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and John Smoltz (1988–2009) overlapped from 1988 to 1992, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 692 games against 723 across 24 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for John Smoltz are games (723 to 692), saves (154 to 0), and WHIP (1.18 to 1.20). The per-nine rows read 6.70 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Bert Blyleven, 7.99 and 2.62 for John Smoltz. Their roles differ: Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games); John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games).
Bert Blyleven vs John Smoltz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or John Smoltz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads John Smoltz in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to John Smoltz's 3,084.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Smoltz, with 1.18 to Bert Blyleven's 1.20.