Matt Brash vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Matt Brash has played 2022–present as a pitcher; Lee Smith played 1980–1997 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
Matt Brash (2022–present) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Matt Brash has 17 wins and 242 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; Lee Smith finished with 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Matt Brash's 3.06.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Matt Brash's 17.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Matt Brash's 242.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lee Smith, with 1.26 to Matt Brash's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Matt Brash's 185.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Matt Brash's 5,619.
Lee Smith
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 2020s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Matt Brash is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Matt Brash | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 17 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 11 | 92 |
| Games | 190 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | 5 | Leads: 6 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 8 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 242 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 86 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 160 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 10 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 185.1 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.06 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 11.75 | 8.73 |
| BB/9 | 4.18 | Leads: 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Matt Brash 33,335 to 5,619 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Lee Smith played 21 seasons to Matt Brash's 3, while Matt Brash carries the higher per-season figure (1,873 to 1,587). 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).
Matt Brash
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Lee Smith
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lee Smith leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Matt Brash owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lee Smith. PIV agrees: Lee Smith grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Matt Brash and Lee Smith careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Lee Smith's ended in 1997, and Matt Brash debuted in 2022. Lee Smith has the far longer record, 1,022 games against 190 across 3 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Matt Brash's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (11.75 to 8.73). The per-nine rows read 11.75 strikeouts and 4.18 walks for Matt Brash, 8.73 and 3.39 for Lee Smith. Both had the same role: Matt Brash worked mostly in relief (5 starts in 190 games, 8 saves); Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves). In WHIP, Lee Smith's 1.26 beats Matt Brash's 1.33. Because Matt Brash is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Matt Brash vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Brash or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Matt Brash in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Matt Brash's 3.06.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Matt Brash's 17.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Matt Brash's 242.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lee Smith, with 1.26 to Matt Brash's 1.33.