Gerrit Cole vs Hilton Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Gerrit Cole 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). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Hilton Smith played ?–1948 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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Hilton Smith finished with 71 wins and 628 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Hilton Smith's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Gerrit Cole, with 2,081.0 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hilton Smith, with 8 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Gerrit Cole
Hilton 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 163 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 339 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 339 | 104 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 63 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 8 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,382 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,081.0 | 975.1 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.11 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 2.27 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole outpaces Hilton Smith 50,909 to 37,558 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 2,504 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Hilton Smith's 15. 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).
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Hilton Smith — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gerrit Cole leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Hilton Smith owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gerrit Cole. PIV agrees: Gerrit Cole grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gerrit Cole and Hilton Smith careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hilton Smith's ended in 1948, and Gerrit Cole debuted in 2013. The table compares 339 games of Gerrit Cole with 170 of Hilton Smith across 12 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. By rate, Gerrit Cole struck out 10.30 and walked 2.27 per nine innings; Hilton Smith struck out 5.79 and walked 1.83. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), while Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games). The complete-game row, 8 against 63, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Gerrit Cole allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.09 WHIP to Hilton Smith's 1.11. Gerrit Cole's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Gerrit Cole vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gerrit Cole leads Hilton Smith in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Gerrit Cole, with 163 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Hilton Smith's 1.11.