Jesse Orosco vs Dave Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Jesse Orosco has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jesse Orosco played 1979–2003 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
Jesse Orosco (1979–2003) and Dave Smith (1980–1992) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jesse Orosco finished with 87 wins and 1,179 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 Jesse Orosco's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Jesse Orosco, with 87 to Dave Smith's 53.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jesse Orosco, with 1,179 to Dave Smith's 548.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dave Smith, with 1.21 to Jesse Orosco's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Jesse Orosco, with 1,295.1 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 Jesse Orosco's 15,724.
Jesse Orosco
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jesse Orosco | Dave Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 87 | 53 |
| Losses not scored | 80 | 53 |
| Games | Leads: 1,252 | 609 |
| Games Started | Leads: 4 | 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 144 | Leads: 216 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,179 | 548 |
| Walks not scored | 581 | 283 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,055 | 700 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 113 | 34 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,295.1 | 809.1 |
| ERA | 3.16 | Leads: 2.67 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.19 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 4.04 | Leads: 3.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dave Smith edges Jesse Orosco 16,707 to 15,724 — driven by per-season impact — 1,285 PIV per season to 605 — rather than by longevity, since Dave Smith played 13 seasons to Jesse Orosco's 26. 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).
Jesse Orosco
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, Jesse Orosco 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 Jesse Orosco. Note that PIV actually grades Dave Smith ahead, which means Jesse Orosco's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jesse Orosco and Dave Smith careers compare
The careers of Jesse Orosco (1979–2003) and Dave Smith (1980–1992) overlapped from 1980 to 1992, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jesse Orosco appeared in 1,252 games to Dave Smith's 609. The green cells for Dave Smith are saves (216 to 144), ERA (2.67 to 3.16), and WHIP (1.21 to 1.26). By rate, Jesse Orosco struck out 8.19 and walked 4.04 per nine innings; Dave Smith struck out 6.09 and walked 3.15.
Jesse Orosco vs Dave Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jesse Orosco or Dave Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jesse Orosco leads Dave Smith in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dave Smith, with 2.67 to Jesse Orosco's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Jesse Orosco, with 87 to Dave Smith's 53.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jesse Orosco, with 1,179 to Dave Smith's 548.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dave Smith, with 1.21 to Jesse Orosco's 1.26.