Brian Downing vs Ken Forsch: Career Stats Comparison
Brian Downing and Ken Forsch played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Brian Downing played 1973–1992 as a hitter; Ken Forsch played 1970–1986 as a pitcher.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Brian Downing (1973–1992) and Ken Forsch (1970–1986) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Ken Forsch pitched, totalling 114 wins and 1,047 strikeouts; Brian Downing hit, totalling 2,099 hits and 275 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Brian Downing, with 22,792 career PIV to Ken Forsch's 13,222.
Brian Downing
Ken Forsch
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Ken Forsch is shown on pitching lines and Brian Downing on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Brian Downing — Hitter
| Statistic | Brian Downing |
|---|---|
| Games | 2,344 |
| At-Bats | 7,853 |
| Runs | 1,188 |
| Hits | 2,099 |
| Doubles | 360 |
| Triples | 28 |
| Home Runs | 275 |
| RBI | 1,073 |
| Walks | 1,197 |
| Strikeouts | 1,127 |
| Stolen Bases | 50 |
| Batting Avg | .267 |
| On-Base % | .370 |
| Slugging % | .425 |
| OPS | .796 |
Ken Forsch — Pitcher
| Statistic | Ken Forsch |
|---|---|
| Wins | 114 |
| Losses | 113 |
| Games | 521 |
| Games Started | 241 |
| Complete Games | 70 |
| Shutouts | 18 |
| Saves | 51 |
| Strikeouts | 1,047 |
| Walks | 586 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,071 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 155 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,127.1 |
| ERA | 3.37 |
| WHIP | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 4.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.48 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Brian Downing carries a career batting PIV of 22,792; Ken Forsch carries a career pitching PIV of 13,222. Brian Downing is the higher of the two at 22,792 to 13,222. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Brian Downing — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ken Forsch — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Ken Forsch and Brian Downing: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Brian Downing grades higher, 22,792 to 13,222. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Brian Downing and Ken Forsch careers compare
The careers of Brian Downing (1973–1992) and Ken Forsch (1970–1986) overlapped from 1973 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Brian Downing's batting card reads 2,099 hits, 275 home runs and a .267 average. Ken Forsch's pitching card shows 114 wins, a 3.37 ERA and 1,047 strikeouts. No single table can grade a pitcher against a hitter, so each career is shown in its own discipline, with PIV as the common scale. Their best seasons are measured differently, .886 OPS in 1987 for Brian Downing and 2.53 ERA in 1971 for Ken Forsch.
Brian Downing vs Ken Forsch: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Brian Downing, with 22,792 career PIV to Ken Forsch's 13,222.
- How do Brian Downing and Ken Forsch compare?
- Brian Downing played 1973–1992 and Ken Forsch played 1970–1986; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.