Bobby Shantz vs Lee Smith: Career Stats Comparison
Bobby Shantz and Lee Smith are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bobby Shantz played 1949–1964 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
Bobby Shantz (1949–1964) and Lee Smith (1980–1997) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bobby Shantz finished with 119 wins and 1,072 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 Bobby Shantz's 3.38.
- Who won more games? Bobby Shantz, with 119 to Lee Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Bobby Shantz's 1,072.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Bobby Shantz, with 1,935.2 to Lee Smith's 1,289.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bobby Shantz, with 15 to Lee Smith's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Bobby Shantz's 24,845.
Bobby Shantz
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 1940s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bobby Shantz | Lee Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 119 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 99 | 92 |
| Games | 537 | Leads: 1,022 |
| Games Started | Leads: 171 | 6 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 78 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 15 | 0 |
| Saves | 48 | Leads: 478 |
| Strikeouts | 1,072 | Leads: 1,251 |
| Walks not scored | 643 | 486 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,795 | 1,133 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 151 | 89 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,935.2 | 1,289.1 |
| ERA | 3.38 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 4.98 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.99 | 3.39 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Bobby Shantz 33,335 to 24,845 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 1,308, across 21 seasons to 19. 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).
Bobby Shantz — top 3 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 strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bobby Shantz owns wins and innings pitched. 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 Bobby Shantz and Lee Smith careers compare
Bobby Shantz (1949–1964) was finished before Lee Smith (1980–1997) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 537 games of Bobby Shantz with 1,022 of Lee Smith across 19 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 4.98 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Bobby Shantz, 8.73 and 3.39 for Lee Smith. Their roles differ: Bobby Shantz split time between starting and relief (171 starts in 537 games); Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves). Complete games (78 to 0) show how differently the two eras used starters. Lee Smith allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.26 WHIP to Bobby Shantz's 1.26.
Bobby Shantz vs Lee Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Bobby Shantz's 3.38.
- Who won more games?
- Bobby Shantz, with 119 to Lee Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Bobby Shantz's 1,072.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.26.