Lee Smith vs Kent Tekulve: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith (1980–1997) and Kent Tekulve (1974–1989) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lee Smith compiled 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts; Kent Tekulve put up 94 wins and 779 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Kent Tekulve
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Lee Smith | Kent Tekulve |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 71 | 94 |
| Losses | 92 | 90 |
| Games | 1,022 | 1,050 |
| Games Started | 6 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 478 | 184 |
| Strikeouts | 1,251 | 779 |
| Walks | 486 | 491 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,133 | 1,305 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 89 | 63 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,289 | 1,436 |
| ERA | 3.03 | 2.85 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 8.73 | 4.88 |
| BB/9 | 3.39 | 3.08 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Kent Tekulve 33,335 to 22,171 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,587 vs 1,304 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Lee Smith — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Kent Tekulve — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kent Tekulve leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Lee Smith owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kent Tekulve. Note that PIV actually grades Lee Smith ahead, which means Kent Tekulve's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.