Chris Sale vs Hilton Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Chris Sale 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). Chris Sale has played 2010–present 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
Chris Sale (2010–present) and Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Chris Sale has 159 wins and 2,779 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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 Chris Sale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Chris Sale, with 159 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Hilton Smith's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Chris Sale, with 2,246.2 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hilton Smith, with 8 to Chris Sale's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Chris Sale, with 65,834 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Chris Sale
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.
Chris Sale is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Chris Sale | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 159 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 97 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 420 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 339 | 104 |
| Complete Games | 17 | Leads: 63 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 8 |
| Saves | 12 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,779 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 518 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,821 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,246.2 | 975.1 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.04 | 1.11 |
| K/9 | Leads: 11.13 | 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 2.08 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Chris Sale outpaces Hilton Smith 65,834 to 37,558 — driven by per-season impact — 4,389 PIV per season to 2,504 — rather than by longevity, since Chris Sale played 15 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).
Chris Sale — 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, Chris Sale leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Hilton Smith owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Chris Sale. PIV agrees: Chris Sale grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Chris Sale and Hilton Smith careers compare
Hilton Smith (?–1948) was finished before Chris Sale (2010–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Chris Sale has appeared in 420 games to Hilton Smith's 170. By rate, Chris Sale struck out 11.13 and walked 2.08 per nine innings; Hilton Smith struck out 5.79 and walked 1.83. Chris Sale was mainly a starter (339 starts in 420 games), while Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games). Complete games (17 to 63) show how differently the two eras used starters. Chris Sale allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.04 WHIP to Hilton Smith's 1.11. Because Chris Sale is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Chris Sale vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Chris Sale or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Chris Sale leads Hilton Smith in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Chris Sale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Chris Sale, with 159 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Chris Sale, with 2,779 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Chris Sale, with 1.04 to Hilton Smith's 1.11.