Jim Bunning vs Billy Hoeft: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Billy Hoeft played 1952–1966 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 Billy Hoeft (1952–1966) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Billy Hoeft finished with 97 wins and 1,140 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jim Bunning, with 3.27 to Billy Hoeft's 3.94.
- Who won more games? Jim Bunning, with 224 to Billy Hoeft's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Billy Hoeft's 1,140.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Billy Hoeft's 1.36.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Bunning, with 3,760.1 to Billy Hoeft's 1,847.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Billy Hoeft's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Bunning, with 44,929 career Pitcher PIV to Billy Hoeft's 13,227.
Jim Bunning
Billy Hoeft
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Billy Hoeft |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 224 | 97 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 101 |
| Games | Leads: 591 | 505 |
| Games Started | Leads: 519 | 200 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 151 | 75 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 17 |
| Saves | 16 | Leads: 33 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 1,140 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 685 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 1,820 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 173 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,760.1 | 1,847.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.27 | 3.94 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.36 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 5.55 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 3.34 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bunning outpaces Billy Hoeft 44,929 to 13,227 — driven by per-season impact — 2,496 PIV per season to 735 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Bunning played 18 seasons to Billy Hoeft'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)
Billy Hoeft — 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 Billy Hoeft owns no headline categories. 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 Billy Hoeft careers compare
The careers of Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Billy Hoeft (1952–1966) overlapped from 1955 to 1966, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 591 games for Jim Bunning and 505 for Billy Hoeft across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Billy Hoeft comes out ahead, it is in saves (33 to 16). By rate, Jim Bunning struck out 6.83 and walked 2.39 per nine innings; Billy Hoeft struck out 5.55 and walked 3.34.
Jim Bunning vs Billy Hoeft: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Billy Hoeft?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bunning leads Billy Hoeft in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Bunning, with 3.27 to Billy Hoeft's 3.94.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Bunning, with 224 to Billy Hoeft's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Billy Hoeft's 1,140.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Billy Hoeft's 1.36.