Terry Forster vs Gene Garber: Career Stats Comparison
Gene Garber has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Terry Forster played 1971–1986 as a pitcher; Gene Garber played 1969–1988 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Terry Forster (1971–1986) and Gene Garber (1969–1988) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Terry Forster finished with 54 wins and 791 strikeouts; Gene Garber finished with 96 wins and 940 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Terry Forster, with 3.23 to Gene Garber's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Gene Garber, with 96 to Terry Forster's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gene Garber, with 940 to Terry Forster's 791.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gene Garber, with 1.26 to Terry Forster's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Gene Garber, with 1,510.0 to Terry Forster's 1,105.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Neither — both are at 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Terry Forster, with 17,266 career Pitcher PIV to Gene Garber's 15,978.
Terry Forster
Gene Garber
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. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Terry Forster | Gene Garber |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 54 | Leads: 96 |
| Losses not scored | 65 | 113 |
| Games | 614 | Leads: 931 |
| Games Started | Leads: 39 | 9 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 5 | 4 |
| Shutouts | 0 | 0 |
| Saves | 127 | Leads: 218 |
| Strikeouts | 791 | Leads: 940 |
| Walks not scored | 457 | 445 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,034 | 1,464 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 51 | 123 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,105.2 | Leads: 1,510.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.23 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.44 | 5.60 |
| BB/9 | 3.72 | Leads: 2.65 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Terry Forster edges Gene Garber 17,266 to 15,978 — driven by per-season impact — 1,079 PIV per season to 726 — rather than by longevity, since Terry Forster played 16 seasons to Gene Garber's 22. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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 by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Terry Forster — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gene Garber — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gene Garber leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Terry Forster owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gene Garber. Note that PIV actually grades Terry Forster ahead, which means Gene Garber's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Terry Forster and Gene Garber careers compare
The careers of Terry Forster (1971–1986) and Gene Garber (1969–1988) overlapped from 1971 to 1986, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Gene Garber has the far longer record, 931 games against 614 across 16 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Terry Forster are starts (39 to 9), complete games (5 to 4), and ERA (3.23 to 3.34). The per-nine rows read 6.44 strikeouts and 3.72 walks for Terry Forster, 5.60 and 2.65 for Gene Garber.
Terry Forster vs Gene Garber: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Terry Forster or Gene Garber?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gene Garber leads Terry Forster in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Terry Forster, with 3.23 to Gene Garber's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Gene Garber, with 96 to Terry Forster's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gene Garber, with 940 to Terry Forster's 791.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gene Garber, with 1.26 to Terry Forster's 1.35.