Tom Gordon vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon (1988–2009) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tom Gordon compiled 138 wins and 1,928 strikeouts; Lee Smith put up 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Tom Gordon
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 | Tom Gordon | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 138 | 71 |
| Losses | 126 | 92 |
| Games | 890 | 1,022 |
| Games Started | 203 | 6 |
| Complete Games | 18 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 4 | 0 |
| Saves | 158 | 478 |
| Strikeouts | 1,928 | 1,251 |
| Walks | 977 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,889 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 176 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,108 | 1,289 |
| ERA | 3.96 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.36 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 8.23 | 8.73 |
| BB/9 | 4.17 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith leads Tom Gordon 33,335 to 29,014 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,587 vs 1,319 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).
Tom Gordon — 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, Lee Smith leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Tom Gordon owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. 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.