Jay Howell vs Duane Ward: Career Stats Comparison
Jay Howell (1980–1994) and Duane Ward (1986–1995) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jay Howell compiled 58 wins and 666 strikeouts; Duane Ward put up 32 wins and 679 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Jay Howell | Duane Ward |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 58 | 32 |
| Losses | 53 | 37 |
| Games | 568 | 462 |
| Games Started | 21 | 2 |
| Complete Games | 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 155 | 121 |
| Strikeouts | 666 | 679 |
| Walks | 291 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed | 782 | 551 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 57 | 32 |
| Innings Pitched | 844 | 666 |
| ERA | 3.34 | 3.28 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 7.10 | 9.17 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | 3.86 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Duane Ward leads Jay Howell 18,942 to 15,213 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,894 vs 1,014 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Jay Howell — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Duane Ward — top 1 seasons 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.