Jay Howell vs Dave Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Jay Howell (1980–1994) and Dave Smith (1980–1992) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jay Howell compiled 58 wins and 666 strikeouts; Dave Smith put up 53 wins and 548 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Jay Howell | Dave Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 58 | 53 |
| Losses | 53 | 53 |
| Games | 568 | 609 |
| Games Started | 21 | 1 |
| Complete Games | 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 155 | 216 |
| Strikeouts | 666 | 548 |
| Walks | 291 | 283 |
| Hits Allowed | 782 | 700 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 57 | 34 |
| Innings Pitched | 844 | 809 |
| ERA | 3.34 | 2.67 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 7.10 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | 3.15 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Smith leads Jay Howell 16,707 to 15,213 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,285 vs 1,014 per year). 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 (120+ innings).
Jay Howell — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dave Smith — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jay Howell leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Dave Smith owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jay Howell. Note that PIV actually grades Dave Smith ahead, which means Jay Howell's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.