Cade Smith vs Billy Wagner: Career Stats Comparison
Billy Wagner has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Cade Smith has played 2024–present as a pitcher; Billy Wagner played 1995–2010 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
Cade Smith (2024–present) and Billy Wagner (1995–2010) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Cade Smith has 20 wins and 314 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; Billy Wagner finished with 47 wins and 1,196 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Cade Smith, with 2.26 to Billy Wagner's 2.31.
- Who won more games? Billy Wagner, with 47 to Cade Smith's 20.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Cade Smith's 314.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cade Smith, with 0.96 to Billy Wagner's 1.00.
- Who pitched more innings? Billy Wagner, with 903.0 to Cade Smith's 223.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Billy Wagner, with 38,470 career Pitcher PIV to Cade Smith's 9,241.
Billy Wagner
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 2020s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Cade Smith is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Cade Smith | Billy Wagner |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 20 | Leads: 47 |
| Losses not scored | 7 | 40 |
| Games | 219 | Leads: 853 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 58 | Leads: 422 |
| Strikeouts | 314 | Leads: 1,196 |
| Walks not scored | 59 | 300 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 154 | 601 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 10 | 82 |
| Innings Pitched | 223.0 | Leads: 903.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.26 | 2.31 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.96 | 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 12.67 | 11.92 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.38 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Billy Wagner outpaces Cade Smith 38,470 to 9,241 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Billy Wagner played 17 seasons to Cade Smith's 2, while Cade Smith carries the higher per-season figure (4,621 to 2,263). 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).
Cade Smith
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Billy Wagner
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Billy Wagner leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Cade Smith owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Billy Wagner. PIV agrees: Billy Wagner grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cade Smith and Billy Wagner careers compare
No season is shared: Billy Wagner played 1995–2010, Cade Smith 2024–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Cade Smith has appeared in 219 games to Billy Wagner's 853. Cade Smith's edges on the table are ERA (2.26 to 2.31), WHIP (0.96 to 1.00), and strikeouts per nine (12.67 to 11.92). The per-nine rows read 12.67 strikeouts and 2.38 walks for Cade Smith, 11.92 and 2.99 for Billy Wagner. Cade Smith worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 219 games, 58 saves), and Billy Wagner worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 853 games, 422 saves). Cade Smith allowed fewer baserunners, a 0.96 WHIP to Billy Wagner's 1.00. Because Cade Smith is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Cade Smith vs Billy Wagner: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cade Smith or Billy Wagner?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Billy Wagner leads Cade Smith in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cade Smith, with 2.26 to Billy Wagner's 2.31.
- Who won more games?
- Billy Wagner, with 47 to Cade Smith's 20.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Billy Wagner, with 1,196 to Cade Smith's 314.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cade Smith, with 0.96 to Billy Wagner's 1.00.