Rich Gossage vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Rich Gossage and Lee Smith are close to even, splitting the 6 scored categories on this page 3–3 (10 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rich Gossage played 1972–1994 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
Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1980s respectively and share 15 seasons. Rich Gossage finished with 124 wins and 1,502 strikeouts; Lee Smith finished with 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 6 scored categories 3–3.
- Who had more saves? Lee Smith, with 478 to Rich Gossage's 310.
- Who had the better ERA? Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Lee Smith's 1,251.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rich Gossage, with 1.23 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who struck out more batters per nine innings? Lee Smith, with 8.73 to Rich Gossage's 7.47.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Rich Gossage's 28,157.
Rich Gossage
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. 6 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 10 are shown but not scored. Both worked mainly in relief, so saves and strikeouts are scored and wins, complete games and shutouts are not. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rich Gossage | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins not scored | 124 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 107 | 92 |
| Games not scored | 1,002 | 1,022 |
| Games Started not scored | 37 | 6 |
| Complete Games not scored | 16 | 0 |
| Shutouts not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 310 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,502 | 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 732 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,497 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 119 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 1,809.1 | 1,289.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.01 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.23 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.47 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | 3.64 | Leads: 3.39 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith leads Rich Gossage 33,335 to 28,157 — driven by per-season impact — 1,852 PIV per season to 1,280 — rather than by longevity, since Lee Smith played 18 seasons to Rich Gossage's 22. 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 (40+ innings).
Rich Gossage — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Lee Smith — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Rich Gossage and Lee Smith split the 6 scored categories on the head-to-head card 3-3. Both are scored as relievers. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Lee Smith higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rich Gossage and Lee Smith careers compare
The careers of Rich Gossage (1972–1994) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) overlapped from 1980 to 1994, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,002 games for Rich Gossage and 1,022 for Lee Smith across 22 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Lee Smith's edges on the table are saves (478 to 310), strikeouts per nine (8.73 to 7.47), and walks per nine (3.39 to 3.64). By rate, Rich Gossage struck out 7.47 and walked 3.64 per nine innings; Lee Smith struck out 8.73 and walked 3.39.
Rich Gossage vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rich Gossage or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 6 scored categories 3–3.
- Who had more saves?
- Lee Smith, with 478 to Rich Gossage's 310.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rich Gossage, with 3.01 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rich Gossage, with 1,502 to Lee Smith's 1,251.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rich Gossage, with 1.23 to Lee Smith's 1.26.