Orel Hershiser vs Jason Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Orel Hershiser has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Orel Hershiser played 1983–2000 as a pitcher; Jason Schmidt played 1995–2009 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
Orel Hershiser (1983–2000) and Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Orel Hershiser finished with 204 wins and 2,014 strikeouts; Jason Schmidt finished with 130 wins and 1,758 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Orel Hershiser, with 3.48 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Orel Hershiser, with 204 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Orel Hershiser, with 2,014 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP? Orel Hershiser, with 1.26 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Orel Hershiser, with 3,130.1 to Jason Schmidt's 1,996.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Orel Hershiser, with 25 to Jason Schmidt's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Orel Hershiser, with 37,276 career Pitcher PIV to Jason Schmidt's 34,873.
Orel Hershiser
Jason Schmidt
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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orel Hershiser | Jason Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 204 | 130 |
| Losses not scored | 150 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 510 | 323 |
| Games Started | Leads: 466 | 314 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 68 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 25 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 5 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,014 | 1,758 |
| Walks not scored | 1,007 | 792 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,939 | 1,846 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,130.1 | 1,996.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.48 | 3.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | 5.79 | Leads: 7.93 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.90 | 3.57 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orel Hershiser edges Jason Schmidt 37,276 to 34,873 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Orel Hershiser played 18 seasons to Jason Schmidt's 16, while Jason Schmidt carries the higher per-season figure (2,180 to 2,071). 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).
Orel Hershiser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jason Schmidt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orel Hershiser leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jason Schmidt owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orel Hershiser. PIV agrees: Orel Hershiser grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Orel Hershiser and Jason Schmidt careers compare
The careers of Orel Hershiser (1983–2000) and Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) overlapped from 1995 to 2000, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Orel Hershiser appeared in 510 games to Jason Schmidt's 323. Jason Schmidt's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (7.93 to 5.79). The per-nine rows read 5.79 strikeouts and 2.90 walks for Orel Hershiser, 7.93 and 3.57 for Jason Schmidt. Orel Hershiser was mainly a starter (466 starts in 510 games), and Jason Schmidt was mainly a starter (314 starts in 323 games). Complete games (68 to 20) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Orel Hershiser vs Jason Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orel Hershiser or Jason Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orel Hershiser leads Jason Schmidt in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Orel Hershiser, with 3.48 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Orel Hershiser, with 204 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Orel Hershiser, with 2,014 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Orel Hershiser, with 1.26 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.