Sandy Koufax vs Hilton Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Sandy Koufax has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 as a pitcher; Hilton Smith played ?–1948 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
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts; Hilton Smith finished with 71 wins and 628 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Hilton Smith's 2.93.
- Who won more games? Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Sandy Koufax, with 2,324.1 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Sandy Koufax, with 40 to Hilton Smith's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Sandy Koufax, with 63,020 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Sandy Koufax
Hilton 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 | Sandy Koufax | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 165 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 397 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 314 | 104 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 137 | 63 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 8 |
| Saves | 9 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,396 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 817 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,754 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 204 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,324.1 | 975.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.76 | 2.93 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.11 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.28 | 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sandy Koufax outpaces Hilton Smith 63,020 to 37,558 — driven by per-season impact — 5,252 PIV per season to 2,504 — rather than by longevity, since Sandy Koufax played 12 seasons to Hilton Smith'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).
Sandy Koufax — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Hilton Smith — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Sandy Koufax leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Hilton Smith owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Sandy Koufax. PIV agrees: Sandy Koufax grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Sandy Koufax and Hilton Smith careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hilton Smith's ended in 1948, and Sandy Koufax debuted in 1955. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Sandy Koufax appeared in 397 games to Hilton Smith's 170. Where Hilton Smith comes out ahead, it is in saves (16 to 9) and walks per nine (1.83 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 9.28 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Sandy Koufax, 5.79 and 1.83 for Hilton Smith. Their roles differ: Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games); Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games).
Sandy Koufax vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sandy Koufax or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Sandy Koufax leads Hilton Smith in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Hilton Smith's 2.93.
- Who won more games?
- Sandy Koufax, with 165 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2,396 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.11.