Jay Howell vs Todd Worrell: Career Stats Comparison
Jay Howell 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; Todd Worrell played 1985–1997 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 Todd Worrell (1985–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jay Howell finished with 58 wins and 666 strikeouts; Todd Worrell finished with 50 wins and 628 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Todd Worrell, with 3.09 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Jay Howell, with 58 to Todd Worrell's 50.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jay Howell, with 666 to Todd Worrell's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Todd Worrell, with 1.23 to Jay Howell's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Jay Howell, with 844.2 to Todd Worrell's 693.2.
- 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 Todd Worrell's 12,459.
Todd Worrell
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 | Todd Worrell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 58 | 50 |
| Losses not scored | 53 | 52 |
| Games | 568 | Leads: 617 |
| Games Started | Leads: 21 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 2 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 155 | Leads: 256 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 666 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 291 | 247 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 782 | 608 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 57 | 65 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 844.2 | 693.2 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 3.09 |
| WHIP | 1.27 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | 7.10 | Leads: 8.15 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 3.20 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jay Howell leads Todd Worrell 15,213 to 12,459 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jay Howell played 15 seasons to Todd Worrell's 11, while Todd Worrell carries the higher per-season figure (1,133 to 1,014). 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.
Todd Worrell
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jay Howell leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Todd Worrell owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jay Howell. PIV agrees: Jay Howell 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 Todd Worrell careers compare
From 1985 through 1994, Jay Howell and Todd Worrell were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 568 games for Jay Howell and 617 for Todd Worrell across 15 and 11 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, 8.15 and 3.20 for Todd Worrell. Jay Howell worked mostly in relief (21 starts in 568 games, 155 saves), and Todd Worrell worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 617 games, 256 saves). In WHIP, Todd Worrell's 1.23 beats Jay Howell's 1.27.
Jay Howell vs Todd Worrell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jay Howell or Todd Worrell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jay Howell leads Todd Worrell in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Todd Worrell, with 3.09 to Jay Howell's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Jay Howell, with 58 to Todd Worrell's 50.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jay Howell, with 666 to Todd Worrell's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Todd Worrell, with 1.23 to Jay Howell's 1.27.