Jay Howell 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). Jay Howell played 1980–1994 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
Jay Howell (1980–1994) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jay Howell finished with 58 wins and 666 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 Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Jay Howell's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lee Smith, with 1.26 to Jay Howell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Jay Howell's 844.2.
- 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 Jay Howell's 15,213.
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 | Jay Howell | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 58 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 92 |
| Games | 568 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | Leads: 21 | 6 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 155 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 666 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 291 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 782 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 844.2 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.10 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Jay Howell 33,335 to 15,213 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 1,014, across 21 seasons to 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.
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 WHIP, while Jay Howell owns no headline categories. 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 Jay Howell and Lee Smith careers compare
Jay Howell and Lee Smith were active at the same time between 1980 and 1994. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jay Howell appeared in 568 games to Lee Smith's 1,022. The green cells for Jay Howell are starts (21 to 6), complete games (2 to 0), and walks per nine (3.10 to 3.39). By rate, Jay Howell struck out 7.10 and walked 3.10 per nine innings; Lee Smith struck out 8.73 and walked 3.39. Both had the same role: Jay Howell worked mostly in relief (21 starts in 568 games, 155 saves); Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves).
Jay Howell vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jay Howell or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Jay Howell in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Jay Howell's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lee Smith, with 1.26 to Jay Howell's 1.27.