Jim Bunning vs Gaylord Perry: Career Stats Comparison
Gaylord Perry has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Gaylord Perry played 1962–1983 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 Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 10 seasons. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Gaylord Perry finished with 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Gaylord Perry, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Jim Bunning's 2,855.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.18.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jim Bunning 3,760.1, Gaylord Perry 5,350.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Gaylord Perry, with 53 to Jim Bunning's 40.
Jim Bunning
Gaylord Perry
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 | Gaylord Perry |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | Leads: 314 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 265 |
| Games not scored | 591 | 777 |
| Games Started not scored | 519 | 690 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 303 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves not scored | 16 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | 2,855 | Leads: 3,534 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 1,379 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 4,938 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 399 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,760.1 | 5,350.1 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 3.11 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 5.94 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 2.32 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gaylord Perry outpaces Jim Bunning 78,312 to 44,929 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,560 PIV per season to 2,643, across 22 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)
Gaylord Perry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Gaylord Perry leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Jim Bunning leads 2: WHIP and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Gaylord Perry. PIV agrees: Gaylord Perry 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 Gaylord Perry careers compare
The careers of Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) overlapped from 1962 to 1971, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 591 games against 777 across 17 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Jim Bunning's edges on the table are WHIP (1.18 to 1.18) and strikeouts per nine (6.83 to 5.94). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 5.94 and 2.32 for Gaylord Perry. Both had the same role: Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games); Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games).
Jim Bunning vs Gaylord Perry: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Gaylord Perry?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Gaylord Perry leads Jim Bunning in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Gaylord Perry, with 314 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3,534 to Jim Bunning's 2,855.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.18.