John Franco vs Tom Henke: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Franco played 1984–2005 as a pitcher; Tom Henke played 1982–1995 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
John Franco (1984–2005) and Tom Henke (1982–1995) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 strikeouts; Tom Henke finished with 41 wins and 861 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Henke, with 2.67 to John Franco's 2.89.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Tom Henke's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Tom Henke's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Henke, with 1.09 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Tom Henke's 789.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Henke, with 25,520 career Pitcher PIV to John Franco's 22,498.
John Franco
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 | John Franco | Tom Henke |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 41 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 42 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 642 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 311 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 975 | 861 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 255 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 607 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 64 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,245.2 | 789.2 |
| ERA | 2.89 | Leads: 2.67 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 9.81 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 2.91 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Henke leads John Franco 25,520 to 22,498 — driven by per-season impact — 1,823 PIV per season to 1,071 — rather than by longevity, since Tom Henke played 14 seasons to John Franco's 21. 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).
John Franco
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Tom Henke
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Henke leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while John Franco owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Henke. PIV agrees: Tom Henke grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the John Franco and Tom Henke careers compare
The careers of John Franco (1984–2005) and Tom Henke (1982–1995) overlapped from 1984 to 1995, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: John Franco appeared in 1,119 games to Tom Henke's 642. Where Tom Henke comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.67 to 2.89), WHIP (1.09 to 1.33), and strikeouts per nine (9.81 to 7.04). By rate, John Franco struck out 7.04 and walked 3.58 per nine innings; Tom Henke struck out 9.81 and walked 2.91.
John Franco vs Tom Henke: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Franco or Tom Henke?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Franco leads Tom Henke in 5 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Henke, with 2.67 to John Franco's 2.89.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Tom Henke's 41.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Tom Henke's 861.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Henke, with 1.09 to John Franco's 1.33.