Alejandro Peña vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Alejandro Peña played 1981–1996 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
Alejandro Peña (1981–1996) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Alejandro Peña finished with 56 wins and 839 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 Alejandro Peña's 3.11.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Alejandro Peña's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Alejandro Peña's 839.
- Who had the better WHIP? Alejandro Peña, with 1.22 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Alejandro Peña's 1,057.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Alejandro Peña, with 7 to Lee Smith's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Alejandro Peña's 22,404.
Alejandro Peña
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 | Alejandro Peña | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 56 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 52 | 92 |
| Games | 503 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | Leads: 72 | 6 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 12 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 7 | 0 |
| Saves | 74 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 839 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 331 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 959 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 75 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,057.2 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.11 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.22 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.14 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.82 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Alejandro Peña 33,335 to 22,404 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 1,245, across 21 seasons to 18. 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).
Alejandro Peña — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
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 K/9, while Alejandro Peña owns WHIP. 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 Alejandro Peña and Lee Smith careers compare
The careers of Alejandro Peña (1981–1996) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) overlapped from 1981 to 1996, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Alejandro Peña appeared in 503 games to Lee Smith's 1,022. The per-nine rows read 7.14 strikeouts and 2.82 walks for Alejandro Peña, 8.73 and 3.39 for Lee Smith. Both had the same role: Alejandro Peña worked mostly in relief (72 starts in 503 games, 74 saves); Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves). Alejandro Peña allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.22 WHIP to Lee Smith's 1.26.
Alejandro Peña vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Alejandro Peña or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Alejandro Peña in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Alejandro Peña's 3.11.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Alejandro Peña's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Alejandro Peña's 839.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Alejandro Peña, with 1.22 to Lee Smith's 1.26.