Gregg Olson vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith 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). Gregg Olson played 1988–2001 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
Gregg Olson (1988–2001) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Gregg Olson finished with 40 wins and 588 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 Gregg Olson's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Gregg Olson's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Gregg Olson's 588.
- Who had the better WHIP? Lee Smith, with 1.26 to Gregg Olson's 1.38.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Gregg Olson's 672.0.
- 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 Gregg Olson's 10,029.
Gregg Olson
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 | Gregg Olson | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 40 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 39 | 92 |
| Games | 622 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 6 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 217 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 588 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 330 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 598 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 46 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 672.0 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.38 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.88 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | 4.42 | Leads: 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Gregg Olson 33,335 to 10,029 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 590, across 21 seasons to 17. 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).
Gregg Olson
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 Gregg Olson 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 Gregg Olson and Lee Smith careers compare
Gregg Olson and Lee Smith were active at the same time between 1988 and 1997. Lee Smith has the far longer record, 1,022 games against 622 across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Lee Smith. The per-nine rows read 7.88 strikeouts and 4.42 walks for Gregg Olson, 8.73 and 3.39 for Lee Smith. Both had the same role: Gregg Olson worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 622 games, 217 saves); Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves). Lee Smith allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.26 WHIP to Gregg Olson's 1.38.
Gregg Olson vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gregg Olson or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Gregg Olson in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Gregg Olson's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Gregg Olson's 40.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Gregg Olson's 588.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Lee Smith, with 1.26 to Gregg Olson's 1.38.