Rollie Fingers vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rollie Fingers compiled 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; Lee Smith put up 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Rollie Fingers
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 114 | 71 |
| Losses | 118 | 92 |
| Games | 944 | 1,022 |
| Games Started | 37 | 6 |
| Complete Games | 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 2 | 0 |
| Saves | 341 | 478 |
| Strikeouts | 1,299 | 1,251 |
| Walks | 492 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,474 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 123 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,701 | 1,289 |
| ERA | 2.90 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.16 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | 8.73 |
| BB/9 | 2.60 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith edges Rollie Fingers 33,335 to 33,082 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,587 vs 1,946 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Rollie Fingers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Lee Smith — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rollie Fingers leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Lee Smith owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rollie Fingers. Note that PIV actually grades Lee Smith ahead, which means Rollie Fingers's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.