Jacob deGrom vs Hilton Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Jacob deGrom 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). Jacob deGrom has played 2014–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
Jacob deGrom (2014–present) and Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Jacob deGrom has 107 wins and 2,052 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? Jacob deGrom, with 2.73 to Hilton Smith's 2.93.
- Who won more games? Jacob deGrom, with 107 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jacob deGrom, with 2,052 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jacob deGrom, with 1.00 to Hilton Smith's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Jacob deGrom, with 1,702.1 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hilton Smith, with 8 to Jacob deGrom's 2.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jacob deGrom, with 58,656 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Jacob deGrom
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.
Jacob deGrom is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jacob deGrom | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 107 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 76 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 279 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 279 | 104 |
| Complete Games | 4 | Leads: 63 |
| Shutouts | 2 | Leads: 8 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,052 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 391 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,312 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 166 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,702.1 | 975.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.73 | 2.93 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.00 | 1.11 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.85 | 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jacob deGrom outpaces Hilton Smith 58,656 to 37,558 — driven by per-season impact — 4,888 PIV per season to 2,504 — rather than by longevity, since Jacob deGrom 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).
Jacob deGrom — 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, Jacob deGrom leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Hilton Smith owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jacob deGrom. PIV agrees: Jacob deGrom grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jacob deGrom and Hilton Smith careers compare
No season is shared: Hilton Smith played ?–1948, Jacob deGrom 2014–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jacob deGrom has appeared in 279 games to Hilton Smith's 170. The green cells for Hilton Smith are complete games (63 to 4), shutouts (8 to 2), and saves (16 to 0). By rate, Jacob deGrom struck out 10.85 and walked 2.07 per nine innings; Hilton Smith struck out 5.79 and walked 1.83. Their roles differ: Jacob deGrom was mainly a starter (279 starts in 279 games); Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games). Jacob deGrom's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Jacob deGrom vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jacob deGrom or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jacob deGrom leads Hilton Smith in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jacob deGrom, with 2.73 to Hilton Smith's 2.93.
- Who won more games?
- Jacob deGrom, with 107 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jacob deGrom, with 2,052 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jacob deGrom, with 1.00 to Hilton Smith's 1.11.