Jay Howell vs Dan Quisenberry: Career Stats Comparison
Dan Quisenberry has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Dan Quisenberry played 1979–1990 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 Dan Quisenberry (1979–1990) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jay Howell finished with 58 wins and 666 strikeouts; Dan Quisenberry finished with 56 wins and 379 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Dan Quisenberry, with 2.76 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Jay Howell, with 58 to Dan Quisenberry's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jay Howell, with 666 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP? Dan Quisenberry, with 1.18 to Jay Howell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Dan Quisenberry, with 1,043.1 to Jay Howell's 844.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dan Quisenberry, with 16,859 career Pitcher PIV to Jay Howell's 15,213.
Dan Quisenberry
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jay Howell | Dan Quisenberry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 58 | 56 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 46 |
| Games | 568 | Leads: 674 |
| Games Started | Leads: 21 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 155 | Leads: 244 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 666 | 379 |
| Walks not scored | 291 | 162 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 782 | 1,064 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 59 |
| Innings Pitched | 844.2 | Leads: 1,043.1 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 2.76 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.10 | 3.27 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 1.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dan Quisenberry leads Jay Howell 16,859 to 15,213 — driven by per-season impact — 1,297 PIV per season to 1,014 — rather than by longevity, since Dan Quisenberry played 13 seasons to Jay Howell's 15. 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.
Dan Quisenberry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Dan Quisenberry leads in ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Jay Howell owns wins, strikeouts, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Dan Quisenberry. PIV agrees: Dan Quisenberry grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jay Howell and Dan Quisenberry careers compare
From 1980 through 1990, Jay Howell and Dan Quisenberry were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 568 games for Jay Howell and 674 for Dan Quisenberry across 15 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 7.10 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Jay Howell, 3.27 and 1.40 for Dan Quisenberry. Both had the same role: Jay Howell worked mostly in relief (21 starts in 568 games, 155 saves); Dan Quisenberry worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 674 games, 244 saves). In WHIP, Dan Quisenberry's 1.18 beats Jay Howell's 1.27.
Jay Howell vs Dan Quisenberry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jay Howell or Dan Quisenberry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Dan Quisenberry leads Jay Howell in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 2.76 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Jay Howell, with 58 to Dan Quisenberry's 56.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jay Howell, with 666 to Dan Quisenberry's 379.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Dan Quisenberry, with 1.18 to Jay Howell's 1.27.