Paul Derringer vs Hilton Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Derringer 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). Paul Derringer played 1931–1945 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
Paul Derringer (1931–1945) and Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Paul Derringer finished with 223 wins and 1,507 strikeouts; 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 Paul Derringer's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Paul Derringer, with 223 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Paul Derringer, with 1,507 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Paul Derringer's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Paul Derringer, with 3,645.0 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Paul Derringer, with 32 to Hilton Smith's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Paul Derringer, with 67,059 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Paul Derringer
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.
| Statistic | Paul Derringer | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 223 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 212 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 579 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 445 | 104 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 251 | 63 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 32 | 8 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,507 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 761 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,912 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 158 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,645.0 | 975.1 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 3.72 | Leads: 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 1.88 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Paul Derringer outpaces Hilton Smith 67,059 to 37,558 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,191 PIV per season to 2,504, across 16 seasons to 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).
Paul Derringer — 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, Paul Derringer leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Hilton Smith owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Paul Derringer. PIV agrees: Paul Derringer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Derringer and Hilton Smith careers compare
Paul Derringer (1931–1945) was finished before Hilton Smith (?–1948) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Paul Derringer appeared in 579 games to Hilton Smith's 170. Where Hilton Smith comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.93 to 3.46), WHIP (1.11 to 1.28), and strikeouts per nine (5.79 to 3.72). By rate, Paul Derringer struck out 3.72 and walked 1.88 per nine innings; Hilton Smith struck out 5.79 and walked 1.83. Paul Derringer was mainly a starter (445 starts in 579 games), while Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games).
Paul Derringer vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Derringer or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Paul Derringer leads Hilton Smith in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Paul Derringer's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Paul Derringer, with 223 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Paul Derringer, with 1,507 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Paul Derringer's 1.28.