Dan Quisenberry vs Dave Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Quisenberry 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). Dan Quisenberry played 1979–1990 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
Dan Quisenberry (1979–1990) and Dave Smith (1980–1992) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dan Quisenberry finished with 56 wins and 379 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 Dan Quisenberry's 2.76.
- Who won more games? Dan Quisenberry, with 56 to Dave Smith's 53.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dave Smith, with 548 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Quisenberry, with 1.18 to Dave Smith's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Quisenberry, with 1,043.1 to Dave Smith's 809.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dan Quisenberry, with 16,859 career Pitcher PIV to Dave Smith's 16,707.
Dan Quisenberry
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 | Dan Quisenberry | Dave Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 56 | 53 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 53 |
| Games | Leads: 674 | 609 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 244 | 216 |
| Strikeouts | 379 | Leads: 548 |
| Walks not scored | 162 | 283 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,064 | 700 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 59 | 34 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,043.1 | 809.1 |
| ERA | 2.76 | Leads: 2.67 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | 3.27 | Leads: 6.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.40 | 3.15 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Quisenberry edges Dave Smith 16,859 to 16,707 — driven by per-season impact — 1,297 PIV per season to 1,285 — rather than by longevity, since Dan Quisenberry played 13 seasons to Dave Smith's 13. 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).
Dan Quisenberry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Dave Smith
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Quisenberry leads in wins, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Dave Smith owns strikeouts, ERA, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Quisenberry. PIV agrees: Dan Quisenberry grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Dan Quisenberry and Dave Smith careers compare
Dan Quisenberry and Dave Smith were active at the same time between 1980 and 1990. The two careers are close in length, 674 games for Dan Quisenberry and 609 for Dave Smith across 13 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Dave Smith comes out ahead, it is in starts (1 to 0), strikeouts (548 to 379), and ERA (2.67 to 2.76). The per-nine rows read 3.27 strikeouts and 1.40 walks for Dan Quisenberry, 6.09 and 3.15 for Dave Smith.
Dan Quisenberry vs Dave Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dan Quisenberry or Dave Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Quisenberry leads Dave Smith in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dave Smith, with 2.67 to Dan Quisenberry's 2.76.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 56 to Dave Smith's 53.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dave Smith, with 548 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 1.18 to Dave Smith's 1.21.