Hilton Smith vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander 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). Hilton Smith played ?–1948 as a pitcher; Justin Verlander has played 2005–present 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
Hilton Smith (?–1948) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Hilton Smith finished with 71 wins and 628 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. 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 Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Justin Verlander, with 9 to Hilton Smith's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Hilton Smith
Justin Verlander
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.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Hilton Smith | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 71 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 38 | 159 |
| Games | 170 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 104 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 63 | 26 |
| Shutouts | 8 | Leads: 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 628 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 198 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 883 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 19 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 975.1 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.93 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.79 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.83 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Hilton Smith 68,171 to 37,558 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,099 PIV per season to 2,504, across 22 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).
Hilton Smith — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Hilton Smith owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Verlander. PIV agrees: Justin Verlander grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hilton Smith and Justin Verlander careers compare
Hilton Smith (?–1948) was finished before Justin Verlander (2005–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Hilton Smith appeared in 170 games to Justin Verlander's 557. By rate, Hilton Smith struck out 5.79 and walked 1.83 per nine innings; Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53. Their roles differ: Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games); Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Hilton Smith allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.11 WHIP to Justin Verlander's 1.14. Justin Verlander's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Hilton Smith vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hilton Smith or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Hilton Smith in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Hilton Smith, with 2.93 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.