Ken Forsch vs J. R. Richard: Career Stats Comparison
Ken Forsch (1970–1986) and J. R. Richard (1971–1980) — both came up during the 1970s, so the matchup is a direct one. Ken Forsch compiled 114 wins and 1,047 strikeouts; J. R. Richard put up 107 wins and 1,493 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Ken Forsch
J. R. Richard
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 | Ken Forsch | J. R. Richard |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 114 | 107 |
| Losses | 113 | 71 |
| Games | 521 | 238 |
| Games Started | 241 | 221 |
| Complete Games | 70 | 76 |
| Shutouts | 18 | 19 |
| Saves | 51 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,047 | 1,493 |
| Walks | 586 | 770 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,071 | 1,227 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 155 | 73 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,127 | 1,606 |
| ERA | 3.37 | 3.15 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | 1.24 |
| K/9 | 4.43 | 8.37 |
| BB/9 | 2.48 | 4.32 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), J. R. Richard outpaces Ken Forsch 38,918 to 13,222 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,892 vs 826 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).
Ken Forsch — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
J. R. Richard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, J. R. Richard leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Ken Forsch owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to J. R. Richard. PIV agrees: J. R. Richard grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.