Jim Bunning vs Whitey Ford: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning and Whitey Ford are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 as a pitcher; Whitey Ford played 1950–1967 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 Whitey Ford (1950–1967) — both debuted in the 1950s. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Whitey Ford finished with 236 wins and 1,956 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Whitey Ford, with 2.75 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Whitey Ford, with 236 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Whitey Ford's 1,956.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Whitey Ford's 1.22.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jim Bunning 3,760.1, Whitey Ford 3,170.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Whitey Ford, with 45 to Jim Bunning's 40.
Jim Bunning
Whitey Ford
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 | Whitey Ford |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | Leads: 236 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 106 |
| Games not scored | 591 | 498 |
| Games Started not scored | 519 | 438 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 156 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 45 |
| Saves not scored | 16 | 10 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 1,956 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 1,086 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 2,766 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 228 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,760.1 | 3,170.1 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 2.75 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 5.55 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 3.08 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Whitey Ford edges Jim Bunning 47,870 to 44,929 — driven by per-season impact — 2,992 PIV per season to 2,643 — rather than by longevity, since Whitey Ford played 16 seasons to Jim Bunning's 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)
Whitey Ford — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Jim Bunning and Whitey Ford split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Whitey Ford higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bunning and Whitey Ford careers compare
Jim Bunning and Whitey Ford were active at the same time between 1955 and 1967. The two careers are close in length, 591 games for Jim Bunning and 498 for Whitey Ford across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Whitey Ford are wins (236 to 224), complete games (156 to 151), and shutouts (45 to 40). By rate, Jim Bunning struck out 6.83 and walked 2.39 per nine innings; Whitey Ford struck out 5.55 and walked 3.08. Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games), and Whitey Ford was mainly a starter (438 starts in 498 games).
Jim Bunning vs Whitey Ford: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Whitey Ford?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Whitey Ford, with 2.75 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Whitey Ford, with 236 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Whitey Ford's 1,956.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Whitey Ford's 1.22.