Steve Howe vs Kenley Jansen: Career Stats Comparison
Kenley Jansen 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). Steve Howe played 1980–1996 as a pitcher; Kenley Jansen has played 2010–present 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
Steve Howe (1980–1996) and Kenley Jansen (2010–present) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Steve Howe finished with 47 wins and 328 strikeouts; Kenley Jansen has 58 wins and 1,329 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Steve Howe's 3.03.
- Who won more games? Kenley Jansen, with 58 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Steve Howe's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? Kenley Jansen, with 972.1 to Steve Howe's 606.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kenley Jansen, with 34,863 career Pitcher PIV to Steve Howe's 12,134.
Kenley Jansen
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 1980s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Kenley Jansen is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Steve Howe | Kenley Jansen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 47 | Leads: 58 |
| Losses not scored | 41 | 46 |
| Games | 497 | Leads: 983 |
| Games Started | 0 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 91 | Leads: 498 |
| Strikeouts | 328 | Leads: 1,329 |
| Walks not scored | 139 | 305 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 586 | 634 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 32 | 95 |
| Innings Pitched | 606.0 | Leads: 972.1 |
| ERA | 3.03 | Leads: 2.60 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 4.87 | Leads: 12.30 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.06 | 2.82 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kenley Jansen outpaces Steve Howe 34,863 to 12,134 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,179 PIV per season to 933, across 16 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).
Steve Howe
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Kenley Jansen
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kenley Jansen 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 Kenley Jansen. PIV agrees: Kenley Jansen grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Steve Howe and Kenley Jansen careers compare
No season is shared: Steve Howe played 1980–1996, Kenley Jansen 2010–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Steve Howe appeared in 497 games to Kenley Jansen's 983. Steve Howe's edges on the table are walks per nine (2.06 to 2.82). The per-nine rows read 4.87 strikeouts and 2.06 walks for Steve Howe, 12.30 and 2.82 for Kenley Jansen. Both had the same role: Steve Howe worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 497 games, 91 saves); Kenley Jansen worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 983 games, 498 saves). Kenley Jansen allowed fewer baserunners, a 0.97 WHIP to Steve Howe's 1.20. Because Kenley Jansen is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Steve Howe vs Kenley Jansen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Howe or Kenley Jansen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kenley Jansen leads Steve Howe in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kenley Jansen, with 2.60 to Steve Howe's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- Kenley Jansen, with 58 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kenley Jansen, with 1,329 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kenley Jansen, with 0.97 to Steve Howe's 1.20.