Steve Howe vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith 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). Steve Howe played 1980–1996 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
Steve Howe (1980–1996) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Steve Howe finished with 47 wins and 328 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? Neither — both are at 3.03.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Howe, with 1.20 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Steve Howe's 606.0.
- 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 Steve Howe's 12,134.
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Steve Howe | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 47 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 41 | 92 |
| Games | 497 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 6 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 91 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 328 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 139 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 586 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 32 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 606.0 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.03 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 4.87 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.06 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Steve Howe 33,335 to 12,134 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 933, across 21 seasons to 13. 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).
Steve Howe
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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 Steve Howe 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 Steve Howe and Lee Smith careers compare
The careers of Steve Howe (1980–1996) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) overlapped from 1980 to 1996, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Steve Howe appeared in 497 games to Lee Smith's 1,022. Steve Howe's edges on the table are WHIP (1.20 to 1.26) and walks per nine (2.06 to 3.39). The per-nine rows read 4.87 strikeouts and 2.06 walks for Steve Howe, 8.73 and 3.39 for Lee Smith. Both had the same role: Steve Howe worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 497 games, 91 saves); Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves).
Steve Howe vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Howe or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Steve Howe in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Howe, with 1.20 to Lee Smith's 1.26.