Lee Smith vs Kent Tekulve: Career Stats Comparison
Kent Tekulve has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lee Smith played 1980–1997 as a pitcher; Kent Tekulve played 1974–1989 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
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 finished with 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts; Kent Tekulve finished with 94 wins and 779 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Kent Tekulve, with 2.85 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games? Kent Tekulve, with 94 to Lee Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Kent Tekulve's 779.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kent Tekulve, with 1.25 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Kent Tekulve, with 1,436.2 to Lee Smith's 1,289.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lee Smith, with 33,335 career Pitcher PIV to Kent Tekulve's 22,171.
Lee Smith
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. 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lee Smith | Kent Tekulve |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 71 | Leads: 94 |
| Losses not scored | 92 | 90 |
| Games | 1,022 | Leads: 1,050 |
| Games Started | Leads: 6 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 478 | 184 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,251 | 779 |
| Walks not scored | 486 | 491 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,133 | 1,305 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 89 | 63 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,289.1 | Leads: 1,436.2 |
| ERA | 3.03 | Leads: 2.85 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.25 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.73 | 4.88 |
| BB/9 | 3.39 | Leads: 3.08 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Kent Tekulve 33,335 to 22,171 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 1,304, across 21 seasons to 17. 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).
Lee Smith
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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.
Related Matchups
How the Lee Smith and Kent Tekulve careers compare
The careers of Lee Smith (1980–1997) and Kent Tekulve (1974–1989) overlapped from 1980 to 1989, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,022 games for Lee Smith and 1,050 for Kent Tekulve across 21 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Lee Smith comes out ahead, it is in starts (6 to 0), saves (478 to 184), and strikeouts (1,251 to 779). The per-nine rows read 8.73 strikeouts and 3.39 walks for Lee Smith, 4.88 and 3.08 for Kent Tekulve.
Lee Smith vs Kent Tekulve: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lee Smith or Kent Tekulve?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kent Tekulve leads Lee Smith in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kent Tekulve, with 2.85 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- Kent Tekulve, with 94 to Lee Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Kent Tekulve's 779.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kent Tekulve, with 1.25 to Lee Smith's 1.26.