Bob Gibson vs Red Ruffing: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson and Red Ruffing are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 as a pitcher; Red Ruffing played 1924–1947 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 Red Ruffing (1924–1947) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Red Ruffing finished with 273 wins and 1,987 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 Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games? Red Ruffing, with 273 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Red Ruffing, with 4,344.0 to Bob Gibson's 3,884.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Red Ruffing's 45.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Red Ruffing's 17,432.
Bob Gibson
Red Ruffing
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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Red Ruffing |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 251 | Leads: 273 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 225 |
| Games | 528 | Leads: 624 |
| Games Started | 482 | Leads: 536 |
| Complete Games | 255 | Leads: 335 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 45 |
| Saves | 6 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 1,987 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 1,541 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 4,284 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 254 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,884.1 | Leads: 4,344.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.80 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 4.12 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 3.19 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Red Ruffing 69,720 to 17,432 — driven by per-season impact — 4,101 PIV per season to 758 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Gibson played 17 seasons to Red Ruffing's 23. 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)
Red Ruffing — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Gibson leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Red Ruffing owns wins 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 Red Ruffing careers compare
Red Ruffing (1924–1947) was finished before Bob Gibson (1959–1975) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 528 games for Bob Gibson and 624 for Red Ruffing across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 4.12 and 3.19 for Red Ruffing. Both had the same role: Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games); Red Ruffing was mainly a starter (536 starts in 624 games). Bob Gibson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.19 WHIP to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
Bob Gibson vs Red Ruffing: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games?
- Red Ruffing, with 273 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.