Bob Gibson vs Gary Peters: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Gary Peters played 1959–1972 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 Gary Peters (1959–1972) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Gary Peters finished with 124 wins and 1,420 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 Gary Peters's 3.25.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Gary Peters's 124.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Gary Peters's 1,420.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Gary Peters's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Gary Peters's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Gary Peters's 23.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Gary Peters's 13,100.
Bob Gibson
Gary Peters
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Gary Peters |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 124 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 103 |
| Games | Leads: 528 | 359 |
| Games Started | Leads: 482 | 286 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 79 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 23 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 1,420 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 706 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 1,894 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 157 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 2,081.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.25 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.25 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 6.14 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 3.05 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Gary Peters 69,720 to 13,100 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,101 PIV per season to 936, across 17 seasons to 14. 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)
Gary Peters — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Gibson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Gary Peters owns no headline categories. 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 Gary Peters careers compare
Bob Gibson and Gary Peters were active at the same time between 1959 and 1972. With 528 games against 359 across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Gary Peters are walks per nine (3.05 to 3.10). The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 6.14 and 3.05 for Gary Peters. Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games), and Gary Peters was mainly a starter (286 starts in 359 games). The complete-game row, 255 against 79, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Bob Gibson's 1.19 beats Gary Peters's 1.25.
Bob Gibson vs Gary Peters: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Gary Peters?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Gary Peters in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Gary Peters's 3.25.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Gary Peters's 124.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Gary Peters's 1,420.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Gary Peters's 1.25.