John Franco vs Jay Howell: Career Stats Comparison
John Franco has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; 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
John Franco (1984–2005) and Jay Howell (1980–1994) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 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? John Franco, with 2.89 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Jay Howell's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jay Howell, with 1.27 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Jay Howell's 844.2.
- 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 Jay Howell's 15,213.
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 | Jay Howell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 58 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 53 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 568 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 21 |
| Complete Games | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 155 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 975 | 666 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 291 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 782 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 57 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,245.2 | 844.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.27 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 7.10 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 3.10 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco outpaces Jay Howell 22,498 to 15,213 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,071 PIV per season to 1,014, across 21 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).
John Franco
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Jay Howell
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 innings pitched, while Jay Howell owns WHIP and K/9. 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 Jay Howell careers compare
The careers of John Franco (1984–2005) and Jay Howell (1980–1994) overlapped from 1984 to 1994, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. John Franco has the far longer record, 1,119 games against 568 across 21 and 15 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The per-nine rows read 7.04 strikeouts and 3.58 walks for John Franco, 7.10 and 3.10 for Jay Howell. John Franco worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,119 games, 424 saves), and Jay Howell worked mostly in relief (21 starts in 568 games, 155 saves). In WHIP, Jay Howell's 1.27 beats John Franco's 1.33.
John Franco vs Jay Howell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Franco or Jay Howell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Franco leads Jay Howell in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Jay Howell's 58.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jay Howell, with 1.27 to John Franco's 1.33.