Terry Forster vs Wilbur Wood: Career Stats Comparison
Wilbur Wood has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Wilbur Wood played 1961–1978 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 Wilbur Wood (1961–1978) — 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; Wilbur Wood finished with 164 wins and 1,411 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 Wilbur Wood's 3.24.
- Who won more games? Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Terry Forster's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Wilbur Wood, with 1,411 to Terry Forster's 791.
- Who had the better WHIP? Wilbur Wood, with 1.23 to Terry Forster's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Wilbur Wood, with 2,684.0 to Terry Forster's 1,105.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Wilbur Wood, with 24 to Terry Forster's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Terry Forster, with 17,266 career Pitcher PIV to Wilbur Wood's 13,866.
Terry Forster
Wilbur Wood
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 | Wilbur Wood |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 54 | Leads: 164 |
| Losses not scored | 65 | 156 |
| Games | 614 | Leads: 651 |
| Games Started | 39 | Leads: 297 |
| Complete Games | 5 | Leads: 114 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves | Leads: 127 | 57 |
| Strikeouts | 791 | Leads: 1,411 |
| Walks not scored | 457 | 724 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,034 | 2,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 51 | 209 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,105.2 | Leads: 2,684.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.23 | 3.24 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.44 | 4.73 |
| BB/9 | 3.72 | Leads: 2.43 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Terry Forster leads Wilbur Wood 17,266 to 13,866 — driven by per-season impact — 1,079 PIV per season to 770 — rather than by longevity, since Terry Forster played 16 seasons to Wilbur Wood's 18. 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)
Wilbur Wood — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Wilbur Wood 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 Wilbur Wood. Note that PIV actually grades Terry Forster ahead, which means Wilbur Wood's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Terry Forster and Wilbur Wood careers compare
From 1971 through 1978, Terry Forster and Wilbur Wood were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 614 games for Terry Forster and 651 for Wilbur Wood across 16 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Terry Forster's edges on the table are saves (127 to 57), ERA (3.23 to 3.24), and strikeouts per nine (6.44 to 4.73). The per-nine rows read 6.44 strikeouts and 3.72 walks for Terry Forster, 4.73 and 2.43 for Wilbur Wood. Their roles differ: Terry Forster worked mostly in relief (39 starts in 614 games, 127 saves); Wilbur Wood split time between starting and relief (297 starts in 651 games).
Terry Forster vs Wilbur Wood: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Terry Forster or Wilbur Wood?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Wilbur Wood leads Terry Forster in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Terry Forster, with 3.23 to Wilbur Wood's 3.24.
- Who won more games?
- Wilbur Wood, with 164 to Terry Forster's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Wilbur Wood, with 1,411 to Terry Forster's 791.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Wilbur Wood, with 1.23 to Terry Forster's 1.35.