Tom Gordon vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon and Lee Smith played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 as a starting pitcher; Lee Smith played 1980–1997 as a relief 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
Tom Gordon (1988–2009) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) held different pitching jobs, so this page does not score them category by category. Tom Gordon worked mainly as a starter, with 203 starts and 138 wins; Lee Smith worked mainly in relief, with 1,022 games and 478 saves. Each career is shown below in its own role, with Pitcher PIV as the comparison.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Gordon's 29,014.
- Who won more championships? Tom Gordon, with 1 World Series title to Lee Smith's 0.
Tom Gordon
Lee Smith
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Tom Gordon is shown as a starter and Lee Smith as a reliever. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because a starter's totals and a reliever's totals measure different jobs.
Tom Gordon — Starting Pitcher
| Statistic | Tom Gordon |
|---|---|
| Wins | 138 |
| Losses | 126 |
| Games | 890 |
| Games Started | 203 |
| Complete Games | 18 |
| Shutouts | 4 |
| Saves | 158 |
| Strikeouts | 1,928 |
| Walks | 977 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,889 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 176 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,108.0 |
| ERA | 3.96 |
| WHIP | 1.36 |
| K/9 | 8.23 |
| BB/9 | 4.17 |
Lee Smith — Relief Pitcher
| Statistic | Lee Smith |
|---|---|
| Wins | 71 |
| Losses | 92 |
| Games | 1,022 |
| Games Started | 6 |
| Complete Games | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 |
| Saves | 478 |
| Strikeouts | 1,251 |
| Walks | 486 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 8.73 |
| BB/9 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison
Tom Gordon carries a career Pitcher PIV of 29,014; Lee Smith carries a career Pitcher PIV of 33,335. Lee Smith is the higher of the two at 33,335 to 29,014. Pitcher PIV scores each season against that season's league and weights it by workload, so a starter's innings add to his total.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings for a starter, 40+ for a reliever).
Tom Gordon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Lee Smith — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Tom Gordon and Lee Smith: one worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief. On Pitcher PIV, Lee Smith is higher, 33,335 to 29,014. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Gordon and Lee Smith careers compare
Tom Gordon and Lee Smith were active at the same time between 1988 and 1997. Tom Gordon's pitching card shows 138 wins, a 3.96 ERA and 1,928 strikeouts. As a pitcher, Lee Smith went 71-92 with a 3.03 ERA and 1,251 strikeouts. One worked mainly as a starter and the other mainly in relief, so the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and compares them on Pitcher PIV. On the peak-season lists, Tom Gordon's best year is 1993 at 3.58 ERA and Lee Smith's is 1983 at 1.65 ERA; Lee Smith has the stronger single season.
Tom Gordon vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV?
- Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Gordon's 29,014.
- Who won more championships?
- Tom Gordon, with 1 World Series title to Lee Smith's 0.
- How do Tom Gordon and Lee Smith compare?
- Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 and Lee Smith played 1980–1997; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.