Lee Smith vs John Wetteland: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith and John Wetteland are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 5–5 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lee Smith played 1980–1997 as a pitcher; John Wetteland played 1989–2000 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 John Wetteland (1989–2000) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Lee Smith finished with 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts; John Wetteland finished with 48 wins and 804 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? John Wetteland, with 2.93 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to John Wetteland's 48.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to John Wetteland's 804.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Wetteland, with 1.13 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to John Wetteland's 765.0.
- 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 John Wetteland's 20,366.
Lee Smith
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. 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.
| Statistic | Lee Smith | John Wetteland |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 71 | 48 |
| Losses not scored | 92 | 45 |
| Games | Leads: 1,022 | 618 |
| Games Started | 6 | Leads: 17 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 478 | 330 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,251 | 804 |
| Walks not scored | 486 | 252 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,133 | 616 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 89 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,289.1 | 765.0 |
| ERA | 3.03 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 8.73 | Leads: 9.46 |
| BB/9 | 3.39 | Leads: 2.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces John Wetteland 33,335 to 20,366 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Lee Smith played 21 seasons to John Wetteland's 12, while John Wetteland carries the higher per-season figure (1,697 to 1,587). 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.
John Wetteland
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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.
Related Matchups
How the Lee Smith and John Wetteland careers compare
From 1989 through 1997, Lee Smith and John Wetteland were in the majors together. The table compares 1,022 games of Lee Smith with 618 of John Wetteland across 21 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 8.73 strikeouts and 3.39 walks for Lee Smith, 9.46 and 2.96 for John Wetteland. Both had the same role: Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves); John Wetteland worked mostly in relief (17 starts in 618 games, 330 saves). In WHIP, John Wetteland's 1.13 beats Lee Smith's 1.26.
Lee Smith vs John Wetteland: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Wetteland, with 2.93 to Lee Smith's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to John Wetteland's 48.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to John Wetteland's 804.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Wetteland, with 1.13 to Lee Smith's 1.26.