Jim Bunning vs Max Fried: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning 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). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 as a pitcher; Max Fried has played 2017–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 Max Fried (2017–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; Max Fried has 97 wins and 1,156 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Max Fried, with 3.01 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Jim Bunning, with 224 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Fried, with 1.14 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Bunning, with 3,760.1 to Max Fried's 1,192.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Max Fried's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Bunning, with 44,929 career Pitcher PIV to Max Fried's 26,852.
Jim Bunning
Max Fried
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.
Max Fried is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Max Fried |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 224 | 97 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 46 |
| Games | Leads: 591 | 220 |
| Games Started | Leads: 519 | 203 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 151 | 6 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 1,156 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 330 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 1,026 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 94 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,760.1 | 1,192.1 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 3.01 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.83 | Leads: 8.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 2.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bunning outpaces Max Fried 44,929 to 26,852 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jim Bunning played 18 seasons to Max Fried's 9, while Max Fried carries the higher per-season figure (2,984 to 2,496). 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)
Max Fried — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bunning leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Max Fried owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Bunning. PIV agrees: Jim Bunning 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 Max Fried careers compare
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) was finished before Max Fried (2017–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Jim Bunning has the far longer record, 591 games against 220 across 18 and 9 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Max Fried's edges on the table are ERA (3.01 to 3.27), WHIP (1.14 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (8.73 to 6.83). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 8.73 and 2.49 for Max Fried. Both had the same role: Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games); Max Fried was mainly a starter (203 starts in 220 games). Because Max Fried is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jim Bunning vs Max Fried: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Max Fried?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bunning leads Max Fried in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Max Fried, with 3.01 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Bunning, with 224 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Fried, with 1.14 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.