Kelvim Escobar vs John Franco: Career Stats Comparison
Kelvim Escobar (1997–2009) and John Franco (1984–2005) — breaking in during the 1990s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Kelvim Escobar compiled 101 wins and 1,310 strikeouts; John Franco put up 90 wins and 975 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Kelvim Escobar
John Franco
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 | Kelvim Escobar | John Franco |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 101 | 90 |
| Losses | 91 | 87 |
| Games | 411 | 1,119 |
| Games Started | 202 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 10 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 4 | 0 |
| Saves | 59 | 424 |
| Strikeouts | 1,310 | 975 |
| Walks | 611 | 495 |
| Hits Allowed | 1,461 | 1,166 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 137 | 81 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,507 | 1,245 |
| ERA | 4.15 | 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.37 | 1.33 |
| K/9 | 7.82 | 7.04 |
| BB/9 | 3.65 | 3.58 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kelvim Escobar leads John Franco 25,219 to 22,498 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,102 vs 1,071 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).
Kelvim Escobar — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
John Franco — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kelvim Escobar leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while John Franco owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kelvim Escobar. PIV agrees: Kelvim Escobar grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.