Jim Bunning vs Billy Pierce: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning 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; Billy Pierce played 1945–1964 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 Pierce (1945–1964) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1940s respectively and share 10 seasons. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Billy Pierce finished with 211 wins and 1,999 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Jim Bunning, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Neither — both are at 3.27.
- Who won more games? Jim Bunning, with 224 to Billy Pierce's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Billy Pierce's 1,999.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Billy Pierce's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jim Bunning 3,760.1, Billy Pierce 3,306.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Billy Pierce's 38.
Jim Bunning
Billy Pierce
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 | Billy Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 224 | 211 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 169 |
| Games not scored | 591 | 585 |
| Games Started not scored | 519 | 432 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 193 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 38 |
| Saves not scored | 16 | 32 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 1,999 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 1,178 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 2,989 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 284 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,760.1 | 3,306.2 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 3.27 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 5.44 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 3.21 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bunning leads Billy Pierce 44,929 to 39,435 — driven by per-season impact — 2,643 PIV per season to 2,191 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Bunning played 17 seasons to Billy Pierce's 18. 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)
Billy Pierce — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Jim Bunning leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, WHIP, and others. Billy Pierce leads 2: complete games and ERA. 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 Pierce careers compare
From 1955 through 1964, Jim Bunning and Billy Pierce were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 591 games for Jim Bunning and 585 for Billy Pierce across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Billy Pierce's edges on the table are complete games (193 to 151) and ERA (3.27 to 3.27). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 5.44 and 3.21 for Billy Pierce. Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games), and Billy Pierce was mainly a starter (432 starts in 585 games). In WHIP, Jim Bunning's 1.18 beats Billy Pierce's 1.26.
Jim Bunning vs Billy Pierce: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Billy Pierce?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bunning leads Billy Pierce in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Bunning, with 224 to Billy Pierce's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Billy Pierce's 1,999.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Bunning, with 1.18 to Billy Pierce's 1.26.