Paul Assenmacher vs Duane Ward: Career Stats Comparison
Paul Assenmacher and Duane Ward are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 5–5 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Paul Assenmacher played 1986–1999 as a pitcher; Duane Ward played 1986–1995 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
Paul Assenmacher (1986–1999) and Duane Ward (1986–1995) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Paul Assenmacher finished with 61 wins and 807 strikeouts; Duane Ward finished with 32 wins and 679 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Duane Ward, with 3.28 to Paul Assenmacher's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Paul Assenmacher, with 61 to Duane Ward's 32.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Paul Assenmacher, with 807 to Duane Ward's 679.
- Who had the better WHIP? Duane Ward, with 1.26 to Paul Assenmacher's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Paul Assenmacher, with 855.2 to Duane Ward's 666.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Duane Ward, with 18,942 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Assenmacher's 16,548.
Paul Assenmacher
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Paul Assenmacher | Duane Ward |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 61 | 32 |
| Losses not scored | 44 | 37 |
| Games | Leads: 884 | 462 |
| Games Started | 1 | Leads: 2 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 56 | Leads: 121 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 807 | 679 |
| Walks not scored | 315 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 817 | 551 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 73 | 32 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 855.2 | 666.2 |
| ERA | 3.53 | Leads: 3.28 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 8.49 | Leads: 9.17 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.31 | 3.86 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Duane Ward leads Paul Assenmacher 18,942 to 16,548 — driven by per-season impact — 1,894 PIV per season to 1,034 — rather than by longevity, since Duane Ward played 10 seasons to Paul Assenmacher's 16. 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).
Paul Assenmacher
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Duane Ward — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Duane Ward leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Paul Assenmacher owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Duane Ward. PIV agrees: Duane Ward grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Paul Assenmacher and Duane Ward careers compare
The careers of Paul Assenmacher (1986–1999) and Duane Ward (1986–1995) overlapped from 1986 to 1995, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Paul Assenmacher has the far longer record, 884 games against 462 across 16 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 8.49 strikeouts and 3.31 walks for Paul Assenmacher, 9.17 and 3.86 for Duane Ward. Both had the same role: Paul Assenmacher worked mostly in relief (1 starts in 884 games, 56 saves); Duane Ward worked mostly in relief (2 starts in 462 games, 121 saves). Duane Ward allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.26 WHIP to Paul Assenmacher's 1.32.
Paul Assenmacher vs Duane Ward: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Duane Ward, with 3.28 to Paul Assenmacher's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Paul Assenmacher, with 61 to Duane Ward's 32.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Paul Assenmacher, with 807 to Duane Ward's 679.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Duane Ward, with 1.26 to Paul Assenmacher's 1.32.