Jim Bunning vs Steve Carlton: Career Stats Comparison
Steve Carlton has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 as a pitcher; Steve Carlton played 1965–1988 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
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Steve Carlton (1965–1988) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 7 seasons. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Steve Carlton finished with 329 wins and 4,136 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Steve Carlton, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Steve Carlton, with 329 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Jim Bunning's 2,855.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jim Bunning 3,760.1, Steve Carlton 5,217.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Steve Carlton, with 55 to Jim Bunning's 40.
Jim Bunning
Steve Carlton
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Steve Carlton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | Leads: 329 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 244 |
| Games not scored | 591 | 741 |
| Games Started not scored | 519 | 709 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 254 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 55 |
| Saves not scored | 16 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,855 | Leads: 4,136 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 1,833 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 4,672 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 414 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,760.1 | 5,217.1 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 3.22 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | 6.83 | Leads: 7.13 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 3.16 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Carlton outpaces Jim Bunning 76,502 to 44,929 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,188 PIV per season to 2,643, across 24 seasons to 17. 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).
Jim Bunning — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Steve Carlton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Steve Carlton leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Jim Bunning leads 2: WHIP and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Steve Carlton. PIV agrees: Steve Carlton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bunning and Steve Carlton careers compare
From 1965 through 1971, Jim Bunning and Steve Carlton were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 591 games for Jim Bunning and 741 for Steve Carlton across 17 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jim Bunning comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.18 to 1.25) and walks per nine (2.39 to 3.16). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 7.13 and 3.16 for Steve Carlton. Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games), and Steve Carlton was mainly a starter (709 starts in 741 games).
Jim Bunning vs Steve Carlton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Steve Carlton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Steve Carlton leads Jim Bunning in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Steve Carlton, with 3.22 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Steve Carlton, with 329 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Steve Carlton, with 4,136 to Jim Bunning's 2,855.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Steve Carlton's 1.25.