Lee Smith vs Todd Worrell: Career Stats Comparison
Lee Smith has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Todd Worrell played 1985–1997 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 Todd Worrell (1985–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Lee Smith finished with 71 wins and 1,251 strikeouts; Todd Worrell finished with 50 wins and 628 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Todd Worrell's 3.09.
- Who won more games? Lee Smith, with 71 to Todd Worrell's 50.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Todd Worrell's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Todd Worrell, with 1.23 to Lee Smith's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Lee Smith, with 1,289.1 to Todd Worrell's 693.2.
- 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 Todd Worrell's 12,459.
Lee Smith
Todd Worrell
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 | Todd Worrell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 71 | 50 |
| Losses not scored | 92 | 52 |
| Games | Leads: 1,022 | 617 |
| Games Started | Leads: 6 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 478 | 256 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,251 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 486 | 247 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,133 | 608 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 89 | 65 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,289.1 | 693.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.03 | 3.09 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.73 | 8.15 |
| BB/9 | 3.39 | Leads: 3.20 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lee Smith outpaces Todd Worrell 33,335 to 12,459 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,587 PIV per season to 1,133, across 21 seasons to 11. 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.
Todd Worrell
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, ERA, and K/9, while Todd Worrell owns WHIP. 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 Todd Worrell careers compare
Lee Smith and Todd Worrell were active at the same time between 1985 and 1997. The table compares 1,022 games of Lee Smith with 617 of Todd Worrell across 21 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Todd Worrell comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.23 to 1.26) and walks per nine (3.20 to 3.39). The per-nine rows read 8.73 strikeouts and 3.39 walks for Lee Smith, 8.15 and 3.20 for Todd Worrell. Lee Smith worked mostly in relief (6 starts in 1,022 games, 478 saves), and Todd Worrell worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 617 games, 256 saves). In WHIP, Todd Worrell's 1.23 beats Lee Smith's 1.26.
Lee Smith vs Todd Worrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lee Smith or Todd Worrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Lee Smith leads Todd Worrell in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lee Smith, with 3.03 to Todd Worrell's 3.09.
- Who won more games?
- Lee Smith, with 71 to Todd Worrell's 50.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Lee Smith, with 1,251 to Todd Worrell's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Todd Worrell, with 1.23 to Lee Smith's 1.26.