Posted by The Taint on 7/30/2014 11:01:00 AM (view original):
Curious as to why you think Schilling was better.
Their raw numbers are pretty similar, I think it comes down to peak. Schilling had a higher and longer peak. I think the years spent as a reliever is an argument against Smoltz, not in his favor.
Schilling: 3261 IP; 3.46 ERA; 3116 K; 127 ERA+; 1.14 WHIP; 80 WAR
Smoltz : 3473 IP; 3.33 ERA; 3084 K; 125 ERA+; 1.18 WHIP; 66 WAR
Schilling: 4 seasons as a starter with an ERA+ over 150
Smoltz: 0
Schilling: 7 seasons SP over 140 ERA+
Smoltz: 4
Schilling: 13 SP over 120 ERA+
Smoltz: 10
Smoltz had some really great years as a reliever, specifically 2003, and I'm not ignoring that. But I don't believe that a relief pitcher throwing 65 IP is as valuable as a starter throwing 220.