Jim Bunning vs Gerrit Cole: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 as a pitcher; Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present 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 Gerrit Cole (2013–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Jim Bunning, with 224 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Bunning, with 3,760.1 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Bunning's 44,929.
Jim Bunning
Gerrit Cole
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 1950s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Gerrit Cole |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 224 | 163 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 89 |
| Games | Leads: 591 | 339 |
| Games Started | Leads: 519 | 339 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 151 | 8 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 2,382 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 525 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 1,742 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 239 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,760.1 | 2,081.0 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 6.83 | Leads: 10.30 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 2.27 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole leads Jim Bunning 50,909 to 44,929 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 2,496 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 seasons to Jim Bunning'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).
Jim Bunning — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Gerrit Cole leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Bunning owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gerrit Cole. PIV agrees: Gerrit Cole 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 Gerrit Cole careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jim Bunning's ended in 1971, and Gerrit Cole debuted in 2013. Jim Bunning has the far longer record, 591 games against 339 across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Gerrit Cole are ERA (3.20 to 3.27), WHIP (1.09 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (10.30 to 6.83). By rate, Jim Bunning struck out 6.83 and walked 2.39 per nine innings; Gerrit Cole struck out 10.30 and walked 2.27. Both had the same role: Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games); Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games). Gerrit Cole's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Jim Bunning vs Gerrit Cole: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Gerrit Cole?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bunning leads Gerrit Cole in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Bunning, with 224 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.