Tom Gordon vs Steve Howe: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Gordon has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Gordon played 1988–2009 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
Tom Gordon (1988–2009) and Steve Howe (1980–1996) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tom Gordon finished with 138 wins and 1,928 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? Steve Howe, with 3.03 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games? Tom Gordon, with 138 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Howe, with 1.20 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Gordon, with 2,108.0 to Steve Howe's 606.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Gordon, with 4 to Steve Howe's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Gordon, with 29,014 career Pitcher PIV to Steve Howe's 12,134.
Tom Gordon
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 | Tom Gordon | Steve Howe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 138 | 47 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 41 |
| Games | Leads: 890 | 497 |
| Games Started | Leads: 203 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 18 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 158 | 91 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,928 | 328 |
| Walks not scored | 977 | 139 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,889 | 586 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 176 | 32 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,108.0 | 606.0 |
| ERA | 3.96 | Leads: 3.03 |
| WHIP | 1.36 | Leads: 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.23 | 4.87 |
| BB/9 | 4.17 | Leads: 2.06 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Gordon outpaces Steve Howe 29,014 to 12,134 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,319 PIV per season to 933, across 22 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).
Tom Gordon — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Steve Howe
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Gordon leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Steve Howe owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Gordon. PIV agrees: Tom Gordon grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Gordon and Steve Howe careers compare
The careers of Tom Gordon (1988–2009) and Steve Howe (1980–1996) overlapped from 1988 to 1996, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Tom Gordon appeared in 890 games to Steve Howe's 497. The green cells for Steve Howe are ERA (3.03 to 3.96), WHIP (1.20 to 1.36), and walks per nine (2.06 to 4.17). By rate, Tom Gordon struck out 8.23 and walked 4.17 per nine innings; Steve Howe struck out 4.87 and walked 2.06.
Tom Gordon vs Steve Howe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Gordon or Steve Howe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Gordon leads Steve Howe in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Howe, with 3.03 to Tom Gordon's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Gordon, with 138 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Gordon, with 1,928 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Howe, with 1.20 to Tom Gordon's 1.36.