Max Scherzer vs Hilton Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Max Scherzer 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). Max Scherzer has played 2008–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
Max Scherzer (2008–present) and Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 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 Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Max Scherzer, with 225 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Hilton Smith's 1.11.
- Who pitched more innings? Max Scherzer, with 3,047.2 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Hilton Smith, with 8 to Max Scherzer's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Scherzer, with 68,491 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Max Scherzer
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.
Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Max Scherzer | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 225 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 501 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 492 | 104 |
| Complete Games | 12 | Leads: 63 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 8 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,557 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 814 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,511 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 369 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,047.2 | 975.1 |
| ERA | 3.29 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.11 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.50 | 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 2.40 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Scherzer outpaces Hilton Smith 68,491 to 37,558 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,425 PIV per season to 2,504, across 20 seasons to 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).
Max Scherzer — 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, Max Scherzer 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 Max Scherzer. PIV agrees: Max Scherzer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Max Scherzer and Hilton Smith careers compare
Hilton Smith (?–1948) was finished before Max Scherzer (2008–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Max Scherzer has the far longer record, 501 games against 170 across 20 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 10.50 strikeouts and 2.40 walks for Max Scherzer, 5.79 and 1.83 for Hilton Smith. Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games), while Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games). The complete-game row, 12 against 63, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Max Scherzer's 1.09 beats Hilton Smith's 1.11. Max Scherzer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Max Scherzer vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Scherzer or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Max Scherzer leads Hilton Smith in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Max Scherzer, with 225 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Hilton Smith's 1.11.