Tom Henke vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Henke has the better career line of the two, leading 4 of the 6 scored categories on this page (10 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Henke played 1982–1995 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
Tom Henke (1982–1995) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — both debuted in the 1980s. Tom Henke finished with 41 wins and 861 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? Tom Henke, in 4 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves? Lee Smith, with 478 to Tom Henke's 311.
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Henke, with 2.67 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Tom Henke's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Henke, with 1.09 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who struck out more batters per nine innings? Tom Henke, with 9.81 to Lee Smith's 8.73.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Henke's 25,520.
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 | Tom Henke | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins not scored | 41 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 42 | 92 |
| Games not scored | 642 | 1,022 |
| Games Started not scored | 0 | 6 |
| Complete Games not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts not scored | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 311 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 861 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 255 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 607 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 64 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 789.2 | 1,289.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.67 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.81 | 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.91 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith leads Tom Henke 33,335 to 25,520 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,852 PIV per season to 1,823, across 18 seasons to 14. 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).
Tom Henke — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Lee Smith — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Tom Henke leads 4 of the 6 scored categories on the head-to-head card: ERA, WHIP, strikeouts per nine, and walks per nine. Lee Smith leads 2: saves and strikeouts. Both are scored as relievers. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Henke. 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 Tom Henke and Lee Smith careers compare
From 1982 through 1995, Tom Henke and Lee Smith were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Tom Henke appeared in 642 games to Lee Smith's 1,022. Lee Smith's edges on the table are saves (478 to 311) and strikeouts (1,251 to 861). The per-nine rows read 9.81 strikeouts and 2.91 walks for Tom Henke, 8.73 and 3.39 for Lee Smith. Tom Henke worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 642 games, 311 saves), and Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves). In WHIP, Tom Henke's 1.09 beats Lee Smith's 1.26.
Tom Henke vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Henke or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Henke leads Lee Smith in 4 of the 6 scored categories.
- Who had more saves?
- Lee Smith, with 478 to Tom Henke's 311.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Henke, with 2.67 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Tom Henke's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Henke, with 1.09 to Lee Smith's 1.26.