John Leister vs. R. Smith — Career Comparison

John Leister built a career as a starting pitcher and R. Smith as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. John Leister posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 8.5 and WHIP 2.028 compared to 9 and 1.800 for R. Smith. By the career numbers, John Leister had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.