Trevor Hoffman vs Steve Howe: Career Stats Comparison
Trevor Hoffman has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Trevor Hoffman played 1993–2010 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
Trevor Hoffman (1993–2010) and Steve Howe (1980–1996) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Trevor Hoffman finished with 61 wins and 1,133 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? Trevor Hoffman, with 2.87 to Steve Howe's 3.03.
- Who won more games? Trevor Hoffman, with 61 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Trevor Hoffman, with 1,133 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP? Trevor Hoffman, with 1.06 to Steve Howe's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Trevor Hoffman, with 1,089.1 to Steve Howe's 606.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Trevor Hoffman, with 37,065 career Pitcher PIV to Steve Howe's 12,134.
Trevor Hoffman
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, and the 1990s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Trevor Hoffman | Steve Howe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 61 | 47 |
| Losses not scored | 75 | 41 |
| Games | Leads: 1,035 | 497 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 601 | 91 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 1,133 | 328 |
| Walks not scored | 307 | 139 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 846 | 586 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 100 | 32 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 1,089.1 | 606.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.87 | 3.03 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.36 | 4.87 |
| BB/9 | 2.54 | Leads: 2.06 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Trevor Hoffman outpaces Steve Howe 37,065 to 12,134 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,951 PIV per season to 933, across 19 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).
Trevor Hoffman
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, Trevor Hoffman leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Steve Howe owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Trevor Hoffman. PIV agrees: Trevor Hoffman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Trevor Hoffman and Steve Howe careers compare
From 1993 through 1996, Trevor Hoffman and Steve Howe were in the majors together. The table compares 1,035 games of Trevor Hoffman with 497 of Steve Howe across 19 and 13 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Steve Howe's edges on the table are walks per nine (2.06 to 2.54). The per-nine rows read 9.36 strikeouts and 2.54 walks for Trevor Hoffman, 4.87 and 2.06 for Steve Howe. Both had the same role: Trevor Hoffman worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 1,035 games, 601 saves); Steve Howe worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 497 games, 91 saves). In WHIP, Trevor Hoffman's 1.06 beats Steve Howe's 1.20.
Trevor Hoffman vs Steve Howe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Trevor Hoffman or Steve Howe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Trevor Hoffman leads Steve Howe in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Trevor Hoffman, with 2.87 to Steve Howe's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- Trevor Hoffman, with 61 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Trevor Hoffman, with 1,133 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Trevor Hoffman, with 1.06 to Steve Howe's 1.20.