Lefty Grove vs Hilton Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Lefty Grove 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). Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 as a pitcher; Hilton Smith played ?–1948 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
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) and Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts; Hilton Smith finished with 71 wins and 628 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Lefty Grove, with 35 to Hilton Smith's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Lefty Grove
Hilton 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Grove | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 300 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 141 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 616 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 457 | 104 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 298 | 63 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 35 | 8 |
| Saves | Leads: 55 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,266 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 1,187 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,849 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 162 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,940.2 | 975.1 |
| ERA | 3.06 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 5.18 | Leads: 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 2.71 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Hilton Smith 81,321 to 37,558 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,784 PIV per season to 2,504, across 17 seasons to 15. 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).
Lefty Grove — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Hilton Smith — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Hilton Smith owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lefty Grove. PIV agrees: Lefty Grove grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Grove and Hilton Smith careers compare
No season is shared: Lefty Grove played 1925–1941, Hilton Smith ?–1948. The table compares 616 games of Lefty Grove with 170 of Hilton Smith across 17 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Hilton Smith comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.93 to 3.06), WHIP (1.11 to 1.28), and strikeouts per nine (5.79 to 5.18). The per-nine rows read 5.18 strikeouts and 2.71 walks for Lefty Grove, 5.79 and 1.83 for Hilton Smith. Their roles differ: Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games); Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games).
Lefty Grove vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Grove or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lefty Grove leads Hilton Smith in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Lefty Grove's 3.06.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lefty Grove, with 2,266 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.