Rollie Fingers vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers 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). Rollie Fingers played 1968–1985 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
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 finished with 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; 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? Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games? Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Lee Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Lee Smith's 1,251.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Rollie Fingers, with 1,701.1 to Lee Smith's 1,289.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rollie Fingers, with 2 to Lee Smith's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Rollie Fingers's 33,082.
Rollie Fingers
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 1960s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 114 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 92 |
| Games | 944 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | Leads: 37 | 6 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Saves | 341 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,299 | 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 492 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,474 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,701.1 | 1,289.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.90 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.60 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith edges Rollie Fingers 33,335 to 33,082 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Lee Smith played 21 seasons to Rollie Fingers's 17, while Rollie Fingers carries the higher per-season figure (1,946 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).
Rollie Fingers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Lee Smith
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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.
Related Matchups
How the Rollie Fingers and Lee Smith careers compare
The careers of Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) overlapped from 1980 to 1985, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 944 games for Rollie Fingers and 1,022 for Lee Smith across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Lee Smith's edges on the table are games (1,022 to 944), saves (478 to 341), and strikeouts per nine (8.73 to 6.87). By rate, Rollie Fingers struck out 6.87 and walked 2.60 per nine innings; Lee Smith struck out 8.73 and walked 3.39.
Rollie Fingers vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rollie Fingers or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rollie Fingers leads Lee Smith in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Lee Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Lee Smith's 1,251.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Lee Smith's 1.26.