Jim Bunning vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–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 Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Jim Bunning, with 224 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Bunning, with 3,760.1 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Bunning, with 40 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Bunning, with 44,929 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Wheeler's 39,270.
Jim Bunning
Zack Wheeler
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Zack Wheeler is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 224 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 591 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 519 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 151 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 40 | 3 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,760.1 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 6.83 | Leads: 9.58 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bunning leads Zack Wheeler 44,929 to 39,270 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jim Bunning played 18 seasons to Zack Wheeler's 11, while Zack Wheeler carries the higher per-season figure (3,570 to 2,496). 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)
Zack Wheeler — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bunning leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Zack Wheeler owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Zack Wheeler careers compare
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) was finished before Zack Wheeler (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 591 games of Jim Bunning with 311 of Zack Wheeler across 18 and 11 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Zack Wheeler are ERA (3.26 to 3.27), WHIP (1.13 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (9.58 to 6.83). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games), and Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). Because Zack Wheeler is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jim Bunning vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Bunning leads Zack Wheeler in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Zack Wheeler, with 3.26 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Bunning, with 224 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.