Steve Howe vs John Wetteland: Career Stats Comparison
John Wetteland 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). Steve Howe played 1980–1996 as a pitcher; John Wetteland played 1989–2000 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 John Wetteland (1989–2000) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Steve Howe finished with 47 wins and 328 strikeouts; John Wetteland finished with 48 wins and 804 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? John Wetteland, with 2.93 to Steve Howe's 3.03.
- Who won more games? John Wetteland, with 48 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Wetteland, with 804 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Wetteland, with 1.13 to Steve Howe's 1.20.
- Who pitched more innings? John Wetteland, with 765.0 to Steve Howe's 606.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Wetteland, with 20,366 career Pitcher PIV to Steve Howe's 12,134.
John Wetteland
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 | John Wetteland |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 47 | Leads: 48 |
| Losses not scored | 41 | 45 |
| Games | 497 | Leads: 618 |
| Games Started | 0 | Leads: 17 |
| Complete Games | 0 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 91 | Leads: 330 |
| Strikeouts | 328 | Leads: 804 |
| Walks not scored | 139 | 252 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 586 | 616 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 32 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | 606.0 | Leads: 765.0 |
| ERA | 3.03 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.20 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 4.87 | Leads: 9.46 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.06 | 2.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Wetteland outpaces Steve Howe 20,366 to 12,134 — driven by per-season impact — 1,697 PIV per season to 933 — rather than by longevity, since John Wetteland played 12 seasons to Steve Howe's 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.
John Wetteland
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Wetteland 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 John Wetteland. PIV agrees: John Wetteland 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 John Wetteland careers compare
Steve Howe and John Wetteland were active at the same time between 1989 and 1996. The two careers are close in length, 497 games for Steve Howe and 618 for John Wetteland across 13 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Steve Howe are walks per nine (2.06 to 2.96). The per-nine rows read 4.87 strikeouts and 2.06 walks for Steve Howe, 9.46 and 2.96 for John Wetteland. Steve Howe worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 497 games, 91 saves), and John Wetteland worked mostly in relief (17 starts in 618 games, 330 saves).
Steve Howe vs John Wetteland: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Steve Howe or John Wetteland?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, John Wetteland leads Steve Howe in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- John Wetteland, with 2.93 to Steve Howe's 3.03.
- Who won more games?
- John Wetteland, with 48 to Steve Howe's 47.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Wetteland, with 804 to Steve Howe's 328.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Wetteland, with 1.13 to Steve Howe's 1.20.