Steve Howe vs Dan Plesac: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Plesac has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Dan Plesac played 1986–2003 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 Dan Plesac (1986–2003) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Steve Howe finished with 47 wins and 328 strikeouts; Dan Plesac finished with 65 wins and 1,041 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 Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games? Dan Plesac, with 65 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP? Steve Howe, with 1.20 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Plesac, with 1,072.0 to Steve Howe's 606.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dan Plesac, with 20,030 career Pitcher PIV to Steve Howe's 12,134.
Dan Plesac
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 | Steve Howe | Dan Plesac |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 47 | Leads: 65 |
| Losses not scored | 41 | 71 |
| Games | 497 | Leads: 1,064 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 14 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 91 | Leads: 158 |
| Strikeouts | 328 | Leads: 1,041 |
| Walks not scored | 139 | 402 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 586 | 977 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 32 | 105 |
| Innings Pitched | 606.0 | Leads: 1,072.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.03 | 3.64 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 4.87 | Leads: 8.74 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.06 | 3.38 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Plesac outpaces Steve Howe 20,030 to 12,134 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,002 PIV per season to 933, across 20 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.
Dan Plesac
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Plesac 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 Dan Plesac. PIV agrees: Dan Plesac 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 Dan Plesac careers compare
From 1986 through 1996, Steve Howe and Dan Plesac were in the majors together. The table compares 497 games of Steve Howe with 1,064 of Dan Plesac across 13 and 20 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Steve Howe comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.03 to 3.64), WHIP (1.20 to 1.29), and walks per nine (2.06 to 3.38). The per-nine rows read 4.87 strikeouts and 2.06 walks for Steve Howe, 8.74 and 3.38 for Dan Plesac. Steve Howe worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 497 games, 91 saves), and Dan Plesac worked mostly in relief (14 starts in 1,064 games, 158 saves).
Steve Howe vs Dan Plesac: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Howe or Dan Plesac?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Plesac leads Steve Howe in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Howe, with 3.03 to Dan Plesac's 3.64.
- Who won more games?
- Dan Plesac, with 65 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dan Plesac, with 1,041 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Steve Howe, with 1.20 to Dan Plesac's 1.29.