Jay Howell vs Jeff Montgomery: Career Stats Comparison
Jeff Montgomery 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). Jay Howell played 1980–1994 as a pitcher; Jeff Montgomery played 1987–1999 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
Jay Howell (1980–1994) and Jeff Montgomery (1987–1999) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jay Howell finished with 58 wins and 666 strikeouts; Jeff Montgomery finished with 46 wins and 733 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jeff Montgomery, with 3.27 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Jay Howell, with 58 to Jeff Montgomery's 46.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jeff Montgomery, with 733 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jeff Montgomery, with 1.24 to Jay Howell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Jeff Montgomery, with 868.2 to Jay Howell's 844.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jay Howell, with 15,213 career Pitcher PIV to Jeff Montgomery's 12,043.
Jeff Montgomery
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 | Jay Howell | Jeff Montgomery |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 58 | 46 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 52 |
| Games | 568 | Leads: 700 |
| Games Started | Leads: 21 | 1 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 155 | Leads: 304 |
| Strikeouts | 666 | Leads: 733 |
| Walks not scored | 291 | 296 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 782 | 785 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 81 |
| Innings Pitched | 844.2 | Leads: 868.2 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 3.27 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.24 |
| K/9 | 7.10 | Leads: 7.59 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 3.07 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jay Howell leads Jeff Montgomery 15,213 to 12,043 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,014 PIV per season to 926, across 15 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).
Jay Howell
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Jeff Montgomery
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Montgomery leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jay Howell owns wins. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Montgomery. Note that PIV actually grades Jay Howell ahead, which means Jeff Montgomery's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jay Howell and Jeff Montgomery careers compare
The careers of Jay Howell (1980–1994) and Jeff Montgomery (1987–1999) overlapped from 1987 to 1994, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 568 games for Jay Howell and 700 for Jeff Montgomery across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jay Howell's edges on the table are wins (58 to 46), starts (21 to 1), and complete games (2 to 0). By rate, Jay Howell struck out 7.10 and walked 3.10 per nine innings; Jeff Montgomery struck out 7.59 and walked 3.07.
Jay Howell vs Jeff Montgomery: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jay Howell or Jeff Montgomery?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jeff Montgomery leads Jay Howell in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jeff Montgomery, with 3.27 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Jay Howell, with 58 to Jeff Montgomery's 46.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jeff Montgomery, with 733 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jeff Montgomery, with 1.24 to Jay Howell's 1.27.