Bob Gibson vs Herb Score: 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; Herb Score played 1955–1962 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 Herb Score (1955–1962) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Herb Score finished with 55 wins and 837 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 Herb Score's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Herb Score's 55.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Herb Score's 837.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Herb Score's 1.38.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Herb Score's 858.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Herb Score's 11.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Herb Score's 5,651.
Bob Gibson
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 | Herb Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 55 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 46 |
| Games | Leads: 528 | 150 |
| Games Started | Leads: 482 | 127 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 47 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 11 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 837 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 573 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 609 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 79 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 858.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.36 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.38 |
| K/9 | 7.22 | Leads: 8.78 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 6.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Herb Score 69,720 to 5,651 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,101 PIV per season to 706, across 17 seasons to 8. 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)
Herb Score — 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 Herb Score owns K/9. 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 Herb Score careers compare
The careers of Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Herb Score (1955–1962) overlapped from 1959 to 1962, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Bob Gibson has the far longer record, 528 games against 150 across 17 and 8 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Herb Score are strikeouts per nine (8.78 to 7.22). By rate, Bob Gibson struck out 7.22 and walked 3.10 per nine innings; Herb Score struck out 8.78 and walked 6.01. Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games), and Herb Score was mainly a starter (127 starts in 150 games).
Bob Gibson vs Herb Score: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Herb Score?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Herb Score in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Herb Score's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Herb Score's 55.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Herb Score's 837.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Herb Score's 1.38.