Lee Smith vs John Wetteland: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith (1980–1997) and John Wetteland (1989–2000) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Lee Smith compiled 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts; John Wetteland put up 48 wins and 804 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
John Wetteland
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 | John Wetteland |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 71 | 48 |
| Losses | 92 | 45 |
| Games | 1,022 | 618 |
| Games Started | 6 | 17 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 478 | 330 |
| Strikeouts | 1,251 | 804 |
| Walks | 486 | 252 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,133 | 616 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 89 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,289 | 765 |
| ERA | 3.03 | 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 8.73 | 9.46 |
| BB/9 | 3.39 | 2.96 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces John Wetteland 33,335 to 20,366 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,587 vs 1,697 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)
John Wetteland — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lee Smith leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while John Wetteland owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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.