Jonathan Papelbon vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith 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). Jonathan Papelbon played 2005–2016 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
Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jonathan Papelbon finished with 41 wins and 808 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? Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Jonathan Papelbon's 725.2.
- 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 Jonathan Papelbon's 24,416.
Jonathan Papelbon
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, 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 | Jonathan Papelbon | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 41 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 36 | 92 |
| Games | 689 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | 3 | Leads: 6 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 368 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 808 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 185 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 572 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 725.2 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.44 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.02 | 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.29 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Jonathan Papelbon 33,335 to 24,416 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Lee Smith played 21 seasons to Jonathan Papelbon's 13, while Jonathan Papelbon carries the higher per-season figure (1,878 to 1,587). 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).
Jonathan Papelbon
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, and innings pitched, while Jonathan Papelbon owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Jonathan Papelbon and Lee Smith careers compare
Lee Smith (1980–1997) was finished before Jonathan Papelbon (2005–2016) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 689 games for Jonathan Papelbon and 1,022 for Lee Smith across 13 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Jonathan Papelbon are ERA (2.44 to 3.03), WHIP (1.04 to 1.26), and strikeouts per nine (10.02 to 8.73). The per-nine rows read 10.02 strikeouts and 2.29 walks for Jonathan Papelbon, 8.73 and 3.39 for Lee Smith. Jonathan Papelbon worked mostly in relief (3 starts in 689 games, 368 saves), and Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves).
Jonathan Papelbon vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jonathan Papelbon or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Jonathan Papelbon in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 2.44 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Jonathan Papelbon's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Jonathan Papelbon's 808.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jonathan Papelbon, with 1.04 to Lee Smith's 1.26.