Bob Forsch vs Ken Forsch: Career Stats Comparison

Bob Forsch (1974–1989) and Ken Forsch (1970–1986) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Bob Forsch compiled 168 wins and 1,133 strikeouts; Ken Forsch put up 114 wins and 1,047 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

Bob Forsch

Pitcher · 1974–1989
Wins
168
Losses
136
Strikeouts
1,133
ERA
3.76
WHIP
1.29
IP
2,794
View Bob Forsch's full profile →

Ken Forsch

Pitcher · 1970–1986
Wins
114
Losses
113
Strikeouts
1,047
ERA
3.37
WHIP
1.25
IP
2,127
View Ken Forsch's full profile →

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 Bob Forsch Ken Forsch
Wins 168 114
Losses 136 113
Games 498 521
Games Started 422 241
Complete Games 67 70
Shutouts 19 18
Saves 3 51
Strikeouts 1,133 1,047
Walks 832 586
Hits Allowed 2,777 2,071
Home Runs Allowed 216 155
Innings Pitched 2,794 2,127
ERA 3.76 3.37
WHIP 1.29 1.25
K/9 3.65 4.43
BB/9 2.68 2.48

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ken Forsch outpaces Bob Forsch 13,222 to 172 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (826 vs 10 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Bob Forsch
172
Career Pitcher PIV · 10 per season (17 seasons)
Ken Forsch
13,222
Career Pitcher PIV · 826 per season (16 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).

Bob Forsch — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19752.86 ERA15-10, 108 K in 230 IP
19813.18 ERA10-5, 41 K in 124 IP
19863.25 ERA14-10, 104 K in 230 IP

Ken Forsch — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19712.53 ERA8-8, 131 K in 188 IP
19782.70 ERA10-6, 71 K in 133 IP
19812.88 ERA11-7, 55 K in 153 IP

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Ken Forsch leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Bob Forsch owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ken Forsch. PIV agrees: Ken Forsch grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

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