Jim Bunning vs Satchel Paige: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 as a pitcher; Satchel Paige played 1948–1965 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 Satchel Paige (1948–1965) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1940s respectively and share 11 seasons. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Satchel Paige finished with 143 wins and 1,695 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Jim Bunning, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Jim Bunning, with 224 to Satchel Paige's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Satchel Paige's 1,695.
- Who had the better WHIP? Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jim Bunning 3,760.1, Satchel Paige 1,962.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Satchel Paige's 28.
Jim Bunning
Satchel Paige
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Satchel Paige |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 224 | 143 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 89 |
| Games not scored | 591 | 438 |
| Games Started not scored | 519 | 226 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 151 | 116 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 28 |
| Saves not scored | 16 | 47 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 1,695 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 533 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 1,647 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 66 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,760.1 | 1,962.2 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 2.77 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 6.83 | Leads: 7.77 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Satchel Paige outpaces Jim Bunning 77,694 to 44,929 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,237 PIV per season to 2,643, across 24 seasons to 17. 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)
Satchel Paige — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Jim Bunning leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Satchel Paige leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Bunning. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Satchel Paige higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bunning and Satchel Paige careers compare
The careers of Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Satchel Paige (1948–1965) overlapped from 1955 to 1965, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 591 games for Jim Bunning and 438 for Satchel Paige across 17 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Satchel Paige's edges on the table are ERA (2.77 to 3.27), WHIP (1.11 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (7.77 to 6.83). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 7.77 and 2.44 for Satchel Paige.
Jim Bunning vs Satchel Paige: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Satchel Paige?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bunning leads Satchel Paige in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Bunning, with 224 to Satchel Paige's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Satchel Paige's 1,695.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.