Cliff Lee vs John Smoltz: Career Stats Comparison
John Smoltz has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Cliff Lee played 2002–2014 as a pitcher; John Smoltz played 1988–2009 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
Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and John Smoltz (1988–2009) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Cliff Lee finished with 143 wins and 1,824 strikeouts; John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? John Smoltz, with 3.33 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games? John Smoltz, with 213 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Smoltz, with 1.18 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? John Smoltz, with 3,473.0 to Cliff Lee's 2,156.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Smoltz, with 16 to Cliff Lee's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Cliff Lee's 41,719.
Cliff Lee
John Smoltz
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, and the 2000s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cliff Lee | John Smoltz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 213 |
| Losses not scored | 91 | 155 |
| Games | 328 | Leads: 723 |
| Games Started | 324 | Leads: 481 |
| Complete Games | 29 | Leads: 53 |
| Shutouts | 12 | Leads: 16 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 154 |
| Strikeouts | 1,824 | Leads: 3,084 |
| Walks not scored | 464 | 1,010 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,116 | 3,074 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,156.2 | Leads: 3,473.0 |
| ERA | 3.52 | Leads: 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | 7.61 | Leads: 7.99 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.94 | 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz outpaces Cliff Lee 91,907 to 41,719 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,178 PIV per season to 2,781, across 22 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).
Cliff Lee — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
John Smoltz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Smoltz leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Cliff Lee owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Smoltz. PIV agrees: John Smoltz grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cliff Lee and John Smoltz careers compare
The careers of Cliff Lee (2002–2014) and John Smoltz (1988–2009) overlapped from 2002 to 2009, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 328 games of Cliff Lee with 723 of John Smoltz across 15 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Cliff Lee comes out ahead, it is in walks per nine (1.94 to 2.62). The per-nine rows read 7.61 strikeouts and 1.94 walks for Cliff Lee, 7.99 and 2.62 for John Smoltz. Their roles differ: Cliff Lee was mainly a starter (324 starts in 328 games); John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games).
Cliff Lee vs John Smoltz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cliff Lee or John Smoltz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Smoltz leads Cliff Lee in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Smoltz, with 3.33 to Cliff Lee's 3.52.
- Who won more games?
- John Smoltz, with 213 to Cliff Lee's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Cliff Lee's 1,824.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Smoltz, with 1.18 to Cliff Lee's 1.20.