John Franco vs Jeff Montgomery: 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; Jeff Montgomery played 1987–1999 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 Jeff Montgomery (1987–1999) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. John Franco finished with 90 wins and 975 strikeouts; Jeff Montgomery finished with 46 wins and 733 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 Jeff Montgomery's 3.27.
- Who won more games? John Franco, with 90 to Jeff Montgomery's 46.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Franco, with 975 to Jeff Montgomery's 733.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jeff Montgomery, with 1.24 to John Franco's 1.33.
- Who pitched more innings? John Franco, with 1,245.2 to Jeff Montgomery's 868.2.
- 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 Jeff Montgomery's 12,043.
John Franco
Jeff Montgomery
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 | Jeff Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 90 | 46 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 52 |
| Games | Leads: 1,119 | 700 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 424 | 304 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 975 | 733 |
| Walks not scored | 495 | 296 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,166 | 785 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 81 | 81 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,245.2 | 868.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.27 |
| WHIP | 1.33 | Leads: 1.24 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | Leads: 7.59 |
| BB/9 | 3.58 | Leads: 3.07 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Franco outpaces Jeff Montgomery 22,498 to 12,043 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,071 PIV per season to 926, 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.
Jeff Montgomery
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 Jeff Montgomery 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 Jeff Montgomery careers compare
The careers of John Franco (1984–2005) and Jeff Montgomery (1987–1999) overlapped from 1987 to 1999, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 1,119 games of John Franco with 700 of Jeff Montgomery across 21 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Jeff Montgomery's edges on the table are starts (1 to 0), WHIP (1.24 to 1.33), and strikeouts per nine (7.59 to 7.04). By rate, John Franco struck out 7.04 and walked 3.58 per nine innings; Jeff Montgomery struck out 7.59 and walked 3.07.
John Franco vs Jeff Montgomery: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Franco or Jeff Montgomery?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Franco leads Jeff Montgomery in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Franco, with 2.89 to Jeff Montgomery's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- John Franco, with 90 to Jeff Montgomery's 46.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Franco, with 975 to Jeff Montgomery's 733.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jeff Montgomery, with 1.24 to John Franco's 1.33.