Jay Howell vs Duane Ward: Career Stats Comparison
Jay Howell 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). Jay Howell played 1980–1994 as a pitcher; Duane Ward played 1986–1995 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 Duane Ward (1986–1995) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jay Howell finished with 58 wins and 666 strikeouts; Duane Ward finished with 32 wins and 679 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Duane Ward, with 3.28 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Jay Howell, with 58 to Duane Ward's 32.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Duane Ward, with 679 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP? Duane Ward, with 1.26 to Jay Howell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Jay Howell, with 844.2 to Duane Ward's 666.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Duane Ward, with 18,942 career Pitcher PIV to Jay Howell's 15,213.
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 | Duane Ward |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 58 | 32 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 37 |
| Games | Leads: 568 | 462 |
| Games Started | Leads: 21 | 2 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 155 | 121 |
| Strikeouts | 666 | Leads: 679 |
| Walks not scored | 291 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 782 | 551 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 32 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 844.2 | 666.2 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 3.28 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.10 | Leads: 9.17 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 3.86 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Duane Ward leads Jay Howell 18,942 to 15,213 — driven by per-season impact — 1,894 PIV per season to 1,014 — rather than by longevity, since Duane Ward played 10 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.
Duane Ward — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Duane Ward leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jay Howell owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Duane Ward. PIV agrees: Duane Ward 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 Duane Ward careers compare
The careers of Jay Howell (1980–1994) and Duane Ward (1986–1995) overlapped from 1986 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 462 for Duane Ward across 15 and 10 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Duane Ward's edges on the table are strikeouts (679 to 666), ERA (3.28 to 3.34), and WHIP (1.26 to 1.27). By rate, Jay Howell struck out 7.10 and walked 3.10 per nine innings; Duane Ward struck out 9.17 and walked 3.86.
Jay Howell vs Duane Ward: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jay Howell or Duane Ward?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jay Howell leads Duane Ward in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Duane Ward, with 3.28 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Jay Howell, with 58 to Duane Ward's 32.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Duane Ward, with 679 to Jay Howell's 666.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Duane Ward, with 1.26 to Jay Howell's 1.27.