Brian Downing vs Wilbur Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Brian Downing and Wilbur Wood 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; Wilbur Wood played 1961–1978 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 Wilbur Wood (1961–1978) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Wilbur Wood pitched, totalling 164 wins and 1,411 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 Wilbur Wood's 13,866.
Brian Downing
Wilbur Wood
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Wilbur Wood 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 |
Wilbur Wood — Pitcher
| Statistic | Wilbur Wood |
|---|---|
| Wins | 164 |
| Losses | 156 |
| Games | 651 |
| Games Started | 297 |
| Complete Games | 114 |
| Shutouts | 24 |
| Saves | 57 |
| Strikeouts | 1,411 |
| Walks | 724 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 209 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,684.0 |
| ERA | 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 4.73 |
| BB/9 | 2.43 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Brian Downing carries a career batting PIV of 22,792; Wilbur Wood carries a career pitching PIV of 13,866. Brian Downing is the higher of the two at 22,792 to 13,866. 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
Wilbur Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Wilbur Wood 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 13,866. 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 Wilbur Wood careers compare
Brian Downing and Wilbur Wood were active at the same time between 1973 and 1978. As a hitter, Brian Downing collected 2,099 hits and 275 home runs with a .796 OPS. Wilbur Wood's pitching card shows 164 wins, a 3.24 ERA and 1,411 strikeouts. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, .886 OPS in 1987 for Brian Downing and 1.87 ERA in 1968 for Wilbur Wood.
Brian Downing vs Wilbur Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Brian Downing, with 22,792 career PIV to Wilbur Wood's 13,866.
- How do Brian Downing and Wilbur Wood compare?
- Brian Downing played 1973–1992 and Wilbur Wood played 1961–1978; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.