John Smoltz vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Smoltz played 1988–2009 as a pitcher; Justin Verlander has played 2005–present 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
John Smoltz (1988–2009) and Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Neither — both are at 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to John Smoltz's 3,084.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to John Smoltz's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to John Smoltz's 3,473.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Smoltz, with 16 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Justin Verlander's 68,171.
John Smoltz
Justin Verlander
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | John Smoltz | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 213 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 155 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 723 | 557 |
| Games Started | 481 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 53 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 16 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 154 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 3,084 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 1,010 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,074 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,473.0 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.33 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.99 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | 2.62 | Leads: 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz outpaces Justin Verlander 91,907 to 68,171 — driven by per-season impact — 4,178 PIV per season to 3,099 — rather than by longevity, since John Smoltz played 22 seasons to Justin Verlander's 22. 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).
John Smoltz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while John Smoltz owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Verlander. Note that PIV actually grades John Smoltz ahead, which means Justin Verlander's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Smoltz and Justin Verlander careers compare
John Smoltz and Justin Verlander were active at the same time between 2005 and 2009. With 723 games against 557 across 22 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 7.99 strikeouts and 2.62 walks for John Smoltz, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games), while Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). In WHIP, Justin Verlander's 1.14 beats John Smoltz's 1.18. On the peak-season lists, John Smoltz's best year is 1992 at 2.85 ERA and Justin Verlander's is 2022 at 1.75 ERA; Justin Verlander has the stronger single season. Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
John Smoltz vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Smoltz or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads John Smoltz in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to John Smoltz's 3,084.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to John Smoltz's 1.18.