Bob Gibson vs Rick Reuschel: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson 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). Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 as a pitcher; Rick Reuschel played 1972–1991 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 Rick Reuschel (1972–1991) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Rick Reuschel finished with 214 wins and 2,015 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 Rick Reuschel's 3.37.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Rick Reuschel's 214.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Rick Reuschel's 2,015.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Rick Reuschel's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Rick Reuschel's 3,548.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Rick Reuschel's 26.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Rick Reuschel's 52,650.
Bob Gibson
Rick Reuschel
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Rick Reuschel |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 214 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 191 |
| Games | 528 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 482 | Leads: 529 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 102 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 26 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 2,015 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 935 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 3,588 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 221 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 3,548.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.37 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 5.11 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 2.37 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson leads Rick Reuschel 69,720 to 52,650 — driven by per-season impact — 4,101 PIV per season to 2,507 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Gibson played 17 seasons to Rick Reuschel's 21. 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)
Rick Reuschel — 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 Rick Reuschel 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 Rick Reuschel careers compare
The careers of Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Rick Reuschel (1972–1991) overlapped from 1972 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 528 games for Bob Gibson and 557 for Rick Reuschel across 17 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Rick Reuschel's edges on the table are games (557 to 528), starts (529 to 482), and walks per nine (2.37 to 3.10). The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 5.11 and 2.37 for Rick Reuschel.
Bob Gibson vs Rick Reuschel: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Rick Reuschel?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Rick Reuschel in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Rick Reuschel's 3.37.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Rick Reuschel's 214.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Rick Reuschel's 2,015.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Rick Reuschel's 1.27.