Bob Welch
The rookie who helped the Dodgers win the 1978 World Series delivered one of the most dominant debut seasons in recent memory. Welch's 2.02 ERA and 182 ERA+ as a 21-year-old announced the arrival of a special talent, though he'd never quite reach those stratospheric heights again.
What followed was the career of a workhorse who consistently delivered above-average results across 17 seasons. His 3.47 ERA and 117 ERA+ tell the story of a pitcher who was very good for a very long time, accumulating 211 wins through durability and steady performance rather than peak dominance.
The Cy Young Award validates Welch's place among the elite pitchers of his era. His 1,969 career strikeouts reflect a pitcher who could miss bats when needed, even if he wasn't a pure power pitcher. That remarkable rookie season remains the calling card for a pitcher who built a Hall of Fame-caliber resume through consistency and longevity.
Career · Hitting
17 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | LAD | 23 | 29 | 0 | 1 | .172 | .379 | 54 |
| 1979 | LAD | 25 | 19 | 0 | 3 | .158 | .358 | 49 |
| 1980 | LAD | 34 | 70 | 0 | 3 | .243 | .539 | 75 |
| 1981 | LAD | 23 | 45 | 0 | 2 | .222 | .506 | 73 |
| 1982 | LAD | 38 | 85 | 0 | 3 | .141 | .320 | 45 |
| 1983 | LAD | 31 | 73 | 1 | 2 | .096 | .271 | 38 |
| 1984 | LAD | 32 | 51 | 0 | 3 | .078 | .192 | 27 |
| 1985 | LAD | 25 | 50 | 0 | 4 | .180 | .426 | 60 |
| 1986 | LAD | 35 | 76 | 1 | 4 | .105 | .305 | 42 |
| 1987 | LAD | 38 | 83 | 0 | 5 | .157 | .379 | 51 |
| 1988 | ATH | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1989 | ATH | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1990 | ATH | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1991 | ATH | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1992 | ATH | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1993 | ATH | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | ATH | 26 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | 0 |
| Career | 520 | 582 | 2 | 30 | .151 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
17 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | LAD | 23 | 111.3 | 7 | 4 | 2.02 | 182 | 66 | 1.060 |
| 1979 | LAD | 25 | 81.3 | 5 | 6 | 3.98 | 100 | 64 | 1.402 |
| 1980 | LAD | 32 | 213.7 | 14 | 9 | 3.29 | 116 | 141 | 1.259 |
| 1981 | LAD | 23 | 141.3 | 9 | 5 | 3.44 | 104 | 88 | 1.288 |
| 1982 | LAD | 36 | 235.7 | 16 | 11 | 3.36 | 115 | 176 | 1.188 |
| 1983 | LAD | 31 | 204.0 | 15 | 12 | 2.65 | 146 | 156 | 1.157 |
| 1984 | LAD | 31 | 178.7 | 13 | 13 | 3.78 | 101 | 126 | 1.394 |
| 1985 | LAD | 23 | 167.3 | 14 | 4 | 2.31 | 168 | 96 | 1.052 |
| 1986 | LAD | 33 | 235.7 | 7 | 13 | 3.28 | 121 | 183 | 1.197 |
| 1987 | LAD | 35 | 251.7 | 15 | 9 | 3.22 | 133 | 196 | 1.152 |
| 1988 | ATH | 36 | 244.7 | 17 | 9 | 3.64 | 102 | 158 | 1.300 |
| 1989 | ATH | 33 | 209.7 | 17 | 8 | 3.00 | 123 | 137 | 1.283 |
| 1990 | ATH | 35 | 238.0 | 27 | 6 | 2.95 | 131 | 127 | 1.223 |
| 1991 | ATH | 35 | 220.0 | 12 | 13 | 4.58 | 85 | 101 | 1.414 |
| 1992 | ATH | 20 | 123.7 | 11 | 7 | 3.27 | 114 | 47 | 1.270 |
| 1993 | ATH | 30 | 166.7 | 9 | 11 | 5.29 | 79 | 63 | 1.584 |
| 1994 | ATH | 25 | 68.7 | 3 | 6 | 7.08 | 64 | 44 | 1.777 |
| Career | 506 | 3092.2 | 211 | 146 | — | — | 1969 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.