Jim Bunning vs Lefty Grove: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning and Lefty Grove are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 as a pitcher; Lefty Grove played 1925–1941 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 Lefty Grove (1925–1941) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Lefty Grove finished with 300 wins and 2,266 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Lefty Grove, with 300 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Lefty Grove, with 3,940.2 to Jim Bunning's 3,760.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Lefty Grove's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Lefty Grove, with 81,321 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Bunning's 44,929.
Jim Bunning
Lefty Grove
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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Lefty Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | Leads: 300 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 141 |
| Games | 591 | Leads: 616 |
| Games Started | Leads: 519 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 298 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 35 |
| Saves | 16 | Leads: 55 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 2,266 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 1,187 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 3,849 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 162 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,760.1 | Leads: 3,940.2 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 3.06 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.28 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 5.18 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 2.71 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lefty Grove outpaces Jim Bunning 81,321 to 44,929 — driven by per-season impact — 4,784 PIV per season to 2,496 — rather than by longevity, since Lefty Grove played 17 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)
Lefty Grove — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Lefty Grove leads in wins, ERA, and innings pitched, while Jim Bunning owns strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Lefty Grove. PIV agrees: Lefty Grove 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 Lefty Grove careers compare
Lefty Grove (1925–1941) was finished before Jim Bunning (1955–1971) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 591 games for Jim Bunning and 616 for Lefty Grove across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 5.18 and 2.71 for Lefty Grove. Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games), and Lefty Grove was mainly a starter (457 starts in 616 games). Jim Bunning allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.18 WHIP to Lefty Grove's 1.28.
Jim Bunning vs Lefty Grove: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Lefty Grove, with 3.06 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Lefty Grove, with 300 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Lefty Grove's 2,266.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Lefty Grove's 1.28.