Claude Passeau vs Hilton Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Claude Passeau has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Claude Passeau played 1935–1947 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
Claude Passeau (1935–1947) and Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Claude Passeau finished with 162 wins and 1,104 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? Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Claude Passeau's 3.32.
- Who won more games? Claude Passeau, with 162 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Claude Passeau, with 1,104 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Claude Passeau's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Claude Passeau, with 2,719.2 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Claude Passeau, with 26 to Hilton Smith's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Claude Passeau, with 39,598 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Claude Passeau
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 | Claude Passeau | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 162 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 150 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 444 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 331 | 104 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 188 | 63 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 26 | 8 |
| Saves | Leads: 21 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,104 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 728 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,856 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 105 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,719.2 | 975.1 |
| ERA | 3.32 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 3.65 | Leads: 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 2.41 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Claude Passeau edges Hilton Smith 39,598 to 37,558 — driven by per-season impact — 2,828 PIV per season to 2,504 — rather than by longevity, since Claude Passeau played 14 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).
Claude Passeau — 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, Claude Passeau leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Hilton Smith owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Claude Passeau. PIV agrees: Claude Passeau grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Claude Passeau and Hilton Smith careers compare
No season is shared: Claude Passeau played 1935–1947, Hilton Smith ?–1948. Claude Passeau has the far longer record, 444 games against 170 across 14 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Hilton Smith comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.93 to 3.32), WHIP (1.11 to 1.32), and strikeouts per nine (5.79 to 3.65). The per-nine rows read 3.65 strikeouts and 2.41 walks for Claude Passeau, 5.79 and 1.83 for Hilton Smith. Claude Passeau was mainly a starter (331 starts in 444 games), while Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games). In WHIP, Hilton Smith's 1.11 beats Claude Passeau's 1.32.
Claude Passeau vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Claude Passeau or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Claude Passeau leads Hilton Smith in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Claude Passeau's 3.32.
- Who won more games?
- Claude Passeau, with 162 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Claude Passeau, with 1,104 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Claude Passeau's 1.32.