John Axford vs. Clarke Schmidt — Career Comparison

Clarke Schmidt built a career as a starting pitcher and John Axford as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Clarke Schmidt posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 3.82 and WHIP 1.276 compared to 3.9 and 1.455 for John Axford. By the career numbers, Clarke Schmidt had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.