Jim Bunning vs Bob Friend: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Bob Friend (1951–1966) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jim Bunning compiled 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Bob Friend put up 197 wins and 1,734 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Jim Bunning
Bob Friend
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Bob Friend |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | 197 |
| Losses | 184 | 230 |
| Games | 591 | 602 |
| Games Started | 519 | 497 |
| Complete Games | 151 | 163 |
| Shutouts | 40 | 36 |
| Saves | 16 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 2,855 | 1,734 |
| Walks | 1,000 | 894 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,433 | 3,772 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 372 | 286 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,760 | 3,611 |
| ERA | 3.27 | 3.58 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | 6.83 | 4.32 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | 2.23 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Friend edges Jim Bunning 45,735 to 44,929 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,690 vs 2,496 per year). 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)
Bob Friend — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bunning leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Bob Friend owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Bunning. Note that PIV actually grades Bob Friend ahead, which means Jim Bunning's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.