John Smoltz vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Career Stats Comparison
John Smoltz 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). John Smoltz played 1988–2009 as a pitcher; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has played 2024–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 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 strikeouts; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has 33 wins and 488 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 2.61 to John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games? John Smoltz, with 213 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to John Smoltz's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? John Smoltz, with 3,473.0 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 448.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? John Smoltz, with 16 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 8,844.
John Smoltz
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | John Smoltz | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 213 | 33 |
| Losses not scored | 155 | 19 |
| Games | Leads: 723 | 76 |
| Games Started | Leads: 481 | 76 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 53 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 154 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,084 | 488 |
| Walks not scored | 1,010 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,074 | 310 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 288 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,473.0 | 448.2 |
| ERA | 3.33 | Leads: 2.61 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 7.99 | Leads: 9.79 |
| BB/9 | 2.62 | Leads: 2.47 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz outpaces Yoshinobu Yamamoto 91,907 to 8,844 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: John Smoltz played 22 seasons to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto carries the higher per-season figure (4,422 to 4,178). 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)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Smoltz leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Smoltz. PIV agrees: John Smoltz grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Smoltz and Yoshinobu Yamamoto careers compare
No season is shared: John Smoltz played 1988–2009, Yoshinobu Yamamoto 2024–present. John Smoltz has the far longer record, 723 games against 76 across 22 and 2 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Yoshinobu Yamamoto's edges on the table are ERA (2.61 to 3.33), WHIP (0.97 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (9.79 to 7.99). By rate, John Smoltz struck out 7.99 and walked 2.62 per nine innings; Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 9.79 and walked 2.47. John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games), while Yoshinobu Yamamoto was mainly a starter (76 starts in 76 games). Complete games (53 to 1) show how differently the two eras used starters. Yoshinobu Yamamoto's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
John Smoltz vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Smoltz or Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Smoltz leads Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 2.61 to John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- John Smoltz, with 213 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to John Smoltz's 1.18.