Bob Gibson vs Billy Pierce: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; 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
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Billy Pierce (1945–1964) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Billy Pierce finished with 211 wins and 1,999 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 Billy Pierce's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Billy Pierce's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Billy Pierce's 1,999.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Billy Pierce's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Billy Pierce's 3,306.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Billy Pierce's 38.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Billy Pierce's 39,435.
Bob Gibson
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. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Billy Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 211 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 169 |
| Games | 528 | Leads: 585 |
| Games Started | Leads: 482 | 432 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 193 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 38 |
| Saves | 6 | Leads: 32 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 1,999 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 1,178 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 2,989 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 284 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 3,306.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.27 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 5.44 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 3.21 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Billy Pierce 69,720 to 39,435 — driven by per-season impact — 4,101 PIV per season to 2,191 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Gibson 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.
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)
Billy Pierce — 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 Billy Pierce 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 Billy Pierce careers compare
The careers of Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Billy Pierce (1945–1964) overlapped from 1959 to 1964, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 528 games against 585 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Billy Pierce are games (585 to 528) and saves (32 to 6). The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 5.44 and 3.21 for Billy Pierce. Both had the same role: Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games); Billy Pierce was mainly a starter (432 starts in 585 games). In WHIP, Bob Gibson's 1.19 beats Billy Pierce's 1.26.
Bob Gibson vs Billy Pierce: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Billy Pierce?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Billy Pierce in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Billy Pierce's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Billy Pierce's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Billy Pierce's 1,999.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Billy Pierce's 1.26.