Willie Hernandez vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Willie Hernandez played 1977–1989 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
Willie Hernandez (1977–1989) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Willie Hernandez finished with 70 wins and 788 strikeouts; Lee Smith finished with 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP? Willie Hernandez, with 1.25 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Willie Hernandez's 1,044.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Hernandez's 10,045.
Willie Hernandez
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. 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, and the 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Willie Hernandez | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 70 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 63 | 92 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | Leads: 11 | 6 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 147 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 788 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 349 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 952 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,044.2 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.25 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 6.79 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.01 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Willie Hernandez 33,335 to 10,045 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 718, across 21 seasons to 14. 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).
Willie Hernandez — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Lee Smith
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lee Smith leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Willie Hernandez owns WHIP. 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.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Hernandez and Lee Smith careers compare
From 1980 through 1989, Willie Hernandez and Lee Smith were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Willie Hernandez and 1,022 for Lee Smith across 14 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Willie Hernandez's edges on the table are starts (11 to 6), WHIP (1.25 to 1.26), and walks per nine (3.01 to 3.39). By rate, Willie Hernandez struck out 6.79 and walked 3.01 per nine innings; Lee Smith struck out 8.73 and walked 3.39.
Willie Hernandez vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Hernandez or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Willie Hernandez in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Willie Hernandez's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Willie Hernandez's 70.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Willie Hernandez's 788.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Willie Hernandez, with 1.25 to Lee Smith's 1.26.