Francisco Rodriguez 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). Francisco Rodriguez played 2002–2017 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
Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Francisco Rodriguez finished with 52 wins and 1,142 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? Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP? Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Francisco Rodriguez's 976.0.
- 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 Francisco Rodriguez's 21,669.
Francisco Rodriguez
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 | Francisco Rodriguez | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 52 | Leads: 71 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 92 |
| Games | 948 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 6 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 437 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 1,142 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 389 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 738 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 98 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | 976.0 | Leads: 1,289.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.53 | 8.73 |
| BB/9 | 3.59 | Leads: 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Francisco Rodriguez 33,335 to 21,669 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 1,204, 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).
Francisco Rodriguez
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 Francisco Rodriguez 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 Francisco Rodriguez and Lee Smith careers compare
Lee Smith (1980–1997) was finished before Francisco Rodriguez (2002–2017) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 948 games for Francisco Rodriguez and 1,022 for Lee Smith across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Francisco Rodriguez are ERA (2.86 to 3.03), WHIP (1.15 to 1.26), and strikeouts per nine (10.53 to 8.73). By rate, Francisco Rodriguez struck out 10.53 and walked 3.59 per nine innings; Lee Smith struck out 8.73 and walked 3.39.
Francisco Rodriguez vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Francisco Rodriguez or Lee Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Francisco Rodriguez in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 2.86 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Francisco Rodriguez's 52.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Francisco Rodriguez's 1,142.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Francisco Rodriguez, with 1.15 to Lee Smith's 1.26.