Bob Gibson vs Phil Niekro: Career Stats Comparison
Phil Niekro has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 as a pitcher; Phil Niekro played 1964–1987 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
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Phil Niekro (1964–1987) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Phil Niekro finished with 318 wins and 3,342 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Phil Niekro's 3.35.
- Who won more games? Phil Niekro, with 318 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Phil Niekro, with 3,342 to Bob Gibson's 3,117.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Phil Niekro's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Phil Niekro, with 5,404.1 to Bob Gibson's 3,884.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Phil Niekro's 45.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Phil Niekro's 13,102.
Bob Gibson
Phil Niekro
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Phil Niekro |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 251 | Leads: 318 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 274 |
| Games | 528 | Leads: 864 |
| Games Started | 482 | Leads: 716 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 245 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 45 |
| Saves | 6 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | 3,117 | Leads: 3,342 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 1,809 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 5,044 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 482 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,884.1 | Leads: 5,404.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.35 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 5.57 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 3.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Phil Niekro 69,720 to 13,102 — driven by per-season impact — 4,101 PIV per season to 504 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Gibson played 17 seasons to Phil Niekro's 26. 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).
Bob Gibson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Phil Niekro — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Gibson leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Phil Niekro owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Gibson. PIV agrees: Bob Gibson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Gibson and Phil Niekro careers compare
The careers of Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Phil Niekro (1964–1987) overlapped from 1964 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 528 games of Bob Gibson with 864 of Phil Niekro across 17 and 26 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 5.57 and 3.01 for Phil Niekro. Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games), and Phil Niekro was mainly a starter (716 starts in 864 games). In WHIP, Bob Gibson's 1.19 beats Phil Niekro's 1.27.
Bob Gibson vs Phil Niekro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Phil Niekro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Phil Niekro leads Bob Gibson in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Phil Niekro's 3.35.
- Who won more games?
- Phil Niekro, with 318 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Phil Niekro, with 3,342 to Bob Gibson's 3,117.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Phil Niekro's 1.27.