Michael Fulmer vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith 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). Michael Fulmer has played 2016–present 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
Michael Fulmer (2016–present) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Michael Fulmer has 37 wins and 596 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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? Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lee Smith, with 1.26 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Michael Fulmer's 693.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Michael Fulmer, with 1 to Lee Smith's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Michael Fulmer's 4,091.
Michael Fulmer
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 2010s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Michael Fulmer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Michael Fulmer | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 37 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 51 | 92 |
| Games | 280 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | Leads: 90 | 6 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Saves | 19 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 596 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 226 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 652 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 77 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 693.1 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.93 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.74 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.93 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Michael Fulmer 33,335 to 4,091 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 409, across 21 seasons to 10. 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).
Michael Fulmer — 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, Lee Smith leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Michael Fulmer owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lee Smith. PIV agrees: Lee Smith grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Michael Fulmer and Lee Smith careers compare
Lee Smith (1980–1997) was finished before Michael Fulmer (2016–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 280 games of Michael Fulmer with 1,022 of Lee Smith across 10 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Michael Fulmer are starts (90 to 6), complete games (2 to 0), and shutouts (1 to 0). By rate, Michael Fulmer struck out 7.74 and walked 2.93 per nine innings; Lee Smith struck out 8.73 and walked 3.39. Michael Fulmer split time between starting and relief (90 starts in 280 games), while Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves). Because Michael Fulmer is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Michael Fulmer vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Michael Fulmer or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Michael Fulmer in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Michael Fulmer's 3.93.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Michael Fulmer's 37.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Michael Fulmer's 596.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lee Smith, with 1.26 to Michael Fulmer's 1.27.