John Franco vs Steve Howe: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Steve Howe played 1980–1996 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 Steve Howe (1980–1996) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 strikeouts; Steve Howe finished with 47 wins and 328 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? John Franco, with 2.89 to Steve Howe's 3.03.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Howe, with 1.20 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Steve Howe's 606.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Franco, with 22,498 career Pitcher PIV to Steve Howe's 12,134.
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 | Steve Howe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 47 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 41 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 497 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 91 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 975 | 328 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 139 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 586 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 32 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,245.2 | 606.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.04 | 4.87 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 2.06 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco outpaces Steve Howe 22,498 to 12,134 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,071 PIV per season to 933, across 21 seasons to 13. 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.
Steve Howe
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Franco leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Steve Howe owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to John Franco. PIV agrees: John Franco 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 Steve Howe careers compare
John Franco and Steve Howe were active at the same time between 1984 and 1996. John Franco has the far longer record, 1,119 games against 497 across 21 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Steve Howe's edges on the table are WHIP (1.20 to 1.33) and walks per nine (2.06 to 3.58). By rate, John Franco struck out 7.04 and walked 3.58 per nine innings; Steve Howe struck out 4.87 and walked 2.06. Both had the same role: John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves); Steve Howe worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 497 games, 91 saves).
John Franco vs Steve Howe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Franco or Steve Howe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Franco leads Steve Howe in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Steve Howe's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Howe, with 1.20 to John Franco's 1.33.