Jay Howell vs Dave Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Jay Howell 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). Jay Howell played 1980–1994 as a pitcher; Dave Smith played 1980–1992 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
Jay Howell (1980–1994) and Dave Smith (1980–1992) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jay Howell finished with 58 wins and 666 strikeouts; Dave Smith finished with 53 wins and 548 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dave Smith, with 2.67 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Jay Howell, with 58 to Dave Smith's 53.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jay Howell, with 666 to Dave Smith's 548.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dave Smith, with 1.21 to Jay Howell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Jay Howell, with 844.2 to Dave Smith's 809.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dave Smith, with 16,707 career Pitcher PIV to Jay Howell's 15,213.
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 | Jay Howell | Dave Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 58 | 53 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 53 |
| Games | 568 | Leads: 609 |
| Games Started | Leads: 21 | 1 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 155 | Leads: 216 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 666 | 548 |
| Walks not scored | 291 | 283 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 782 | 700 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 34 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 844.2 | 809.1 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 2.67 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.10 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 3.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Smith leads Jay Howell 16,707 to 15,213 — driven by per-season impact — 1,285 PIV per season to 1,014 — rather than by longevity, since Dave Smith played 13 seasons to Jay Howell's 15. 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).
Jay Howell
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Dave Smith
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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.
Related Matchups
How the Jay Howell and Dave Smith careers compare
Jay Howell and Dave Smith were active at the same time between 1980 and 1992. The two careers are close in length, 568 games for Jay Howell and 609 for Dave Smith across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Dave Smith are games (609 to 568), saves (216 to 155), and ERA (2.67 to 3.34). By rate, Jay Howell struck out 7.10 and walked 3.10 per nine innings; Dave Smith struck out 6.09 and walked 3.15.
Jay Howell vs Dave Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jay Howell or Dave Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jay Howell leads Dave Smith in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dave Smith, with 2.67 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Jay Howell, with 58 to Dave Smith's 53.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jay Howell, with 666 to Dave Smith's 548.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dave Smith, with 1.21 to Jay Howell's 1.27.