Jim Bunning vs Fergie Jenkins: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins 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; Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 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 Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Fergie Jenkins finished with 284 wins and 3,192 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 Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Jim Bunning's 2,855.
- Who had the better WHIP? Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Fergie Jenkins, with 4,500.2 to Jim Bunning's 3,760.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fergie Jenkins, with 49 to Jim Bunning's 40.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Bunning, with 44,929 career Pitcher PIV to Fergie Jenkins's 40,614.
Jim Bunning
Fergie Jenkins
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Fergie Jenkins |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | Leads: 284 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 226 |
| Games | 591 | Leads: 664 |
| Games Started | 519 | Leads: 594 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 267 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 7 |
| Strikeouts | 2,855 | Leads: 3,192 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 997 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 4,142 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 484 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,760.1 | Leads: 4,500.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.27 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 6.38 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 1.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bunning leads Fergie Jenkins 44,929 to 40,614 — driven by per-season impact — 2,496 PIV per season to 2,031 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Bunning played 18 seasons to Fergie Jenkins's 20. 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)
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Fergie Jenkins leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Jim Bunning owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Fergie Jenkins. Note that PIV actually grades Jim Bunning ahead, which means Fergie Jenkins's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bunning and Fergie Jenkins careers compare
The careers of Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) overlapped from 1965 to 1971, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 591 games against 664 across 18 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Jim Bunning comes out ahead, it is in saves (16 to 7), ERA (3.27 to 3.34), and strikeouts per nine (6.83 to 6.38). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 6.38 and 1.99 for Fergie Jenkins. Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games), and Fergie Jenkins was mainly a starter (594 starts in 664 games).
Jim Bunning vs Fergie Jenkins: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Fergie Jenkins?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Fergie Jenkins leads Jim Bunning in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Bunning, with 3.27 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 284 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 3,192 to Jim Bunning's 2,855.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Fergie Jenkins, with 1.14 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.