Rollie Fingers vs Jay Howell: Career Stats Comparison
Rollie Fingers has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rollie Fingers played 1968–1985 as a pitcher; Jay Howell played 1980–1994 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
Rollie Fingers (1968–1985) and Jay Howell (1980–1994) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Rollie Fingers finished with 114 wins and 1,299 strikeouts; Jay Howell finished with 58 wins and 666 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Jay Howell's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Jay Howell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Rollie Fingers, with 1,701.1 to Jay Howell's 844.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rollie Fingers, with 2 to Jay Howell's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rollie Fingers, with 33,082 career Pitcher PIV to Jay Howell's 15,213.
Rollie Fingers
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 1960s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rollie Fingers | Jay Howell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 114 | 58 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 53 |
| Games | Leads: 944 | 568 |
| Games Started | Leads: 37 | 21 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 4 | 2 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 341 | 155 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,299 | 666 |
| Walks not scored | 492 | 291 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,474 | 782 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 123 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,701.1 | 844.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.90 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.16 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 6.87 | Leads: 7.10 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.60 | 3.10 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rollie Fingers outpaces Jay Howell 33,082 to 15,213 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,946 PIV per season to 1,014, across 17 seasons to 15. 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).
Rollie Fingers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jay Howell
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rollie Fingers leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jay Howell owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rollie Fingers. PIV agrees: Rollie Fingers grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rollie Fingers and Jay Howell careers compare
From 1980 through 1985, Rollie Fingers and Jay Howell were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Rollie Fingers appeared in 944 games to Jay Howell's 568. Where Jay Howell comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (7.10 to 6.87). By rate, Rollie Fingers struck out 6.87 and walked 2.60 per nine innings; Jay Howell struck out 7.10 and walked 3.10. Both had the same role: Rollie Fingers worked mostly in relief (37 starts in 944 games, 341 saves); Jay Howell worked mostly in relief (21 starts in 568 games, 155 saves).
Rollie Fingers vs Jay Howell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rollie Fingers or Jay Howell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rollie Fingers leads Jay Howell in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rollie Fingers, with 2.90 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Rollie Fingers, with 114 to Jay Howell's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1,299 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rollie Fingers, with 1.16 to Jay Howell's 1.27.