Jim Bunning vs Don Mossi: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Don Mossi played 1954–1965 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 Don Mossi (1954–1965) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Don Mossi finished with 101 wins and 932 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 Don Mossi's 3.43.
- Who won more games? Jim Bunning, with 224 to Don Mossi's 101.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Don Mossi's 932.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Don Mossi's 1.21.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Bunning, with 3,760.1 to Don Mossi's 1,548.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Don Mossi's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Bunning, with 44,929 career Pitcher PIV to Don Mossi's 18,473.
Jim Bunning
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 | Don Mossi |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 224 | 101 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 591 | 460 |
| Games Started | Leads: 519 | 165 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 151 | 55 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 8 |
| Saves | 16 | Leads: 50 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 932 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 385 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 1,493 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 156 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,760.1 | 1,548.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.27 | 3.43 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.21 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 5.42 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bunning outpaces Don Mossi 44,929 to 18,473 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,496 PIV per season to 1,539, across 18 seasons to 12. 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)
Don Mossi — 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 Don Mossi 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 Don Mossi careers compare
Jim Bunning and Don Mossi were active at the same time between 1955 and 1965. With 591 games against 460 across 18 and 12 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Don Mossi's edges on the table are saves (50 to 16) and walks per nine (2.24 to 2.39). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 5.42 and 2.24 for Don Mossi. Their roles differ: Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games); Don Mossi split time between starting and relief (165 starts in 460 games). In WHIP, Jim Bunning's 1.18 beats Don Mossi's 1.21.
Jim Bunning vs Don Mossi: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Don Mossi?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bunning leads Don Mossi in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Bunning, with 3.27 to Don Mossi's 3.43.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Bunning, with 224 to Don Mossi's 101.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Don Mossi's 932.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Don Mossi's 1.21.