Jim Bunning vs Max Scherzer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Max Scherzer has played 2008–present 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 Max Scherzer (2008–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. 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 Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Max Scherzer, with 225 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Jim Bunning's 2,855.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Bunning, with 3,760.1 to Max Scherzer's 3,047.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Max Scherzer's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Scherzer, with 68,491 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Bunning's 44,929.
Jim Bunning
Max Scherzer
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Max Scherzer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | Leads: 225 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 591 | 501 |
| Games Started | Leads: 519 | 492 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 151 | 12 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 5 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,855 | Leads: 3,557 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 814 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 2,511 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 369 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,760.1 | 3,047.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.27 | 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.09 |
| K/9 | 6.83 | Leads: 10.50 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 2.40 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Scherzer outpaces Jim Bunning 68,491 to 44,929 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,425 PIV per season to 2,496, across 20 seasons to 18. 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)
Max Scherzer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Max Scherzer leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Bunning owns ERA and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Max Scherzer. PIV agrees: Max Scherzer 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 Max Scherzer careers compare
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) was finished before Max Scherzer (2008–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 591 games against 501 across 18 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Max Scherzer comes out ahead, it is in wins (225 to 224), strikeouts (3,557 to 2,855), and WHIP (1.09 to 1.18). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 10.50 and 2.40 for Max Scherzer. Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games), and Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games). Complete games (151 to 12) show how differently the two eras used starters. Max Scherzer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Jim Bunning vs Max Scherzer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Max Scherzer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bunning leads Max Scherzer in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Bunning, with 3.27 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Max Scherzer, with 225 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Jim Bunning's 2,855.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.