Bob Gibson vs Ted Simmons: Career Stats Comparison

Bob Gibson and Ted Simmons played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 as a pitcher; Ted Simmons played 1968–1988 as a hitter.

AVG (Batting Average):
Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
HR (Home Runs):
Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
RBI (Runs Batted In):
Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.

Data updated

Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Ted Simmons (1968–1988) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Bob Gibson pitched, totalling 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Ted Simmons hit, totalling 2,472 hits and 248 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.

Quick answer

  • Who has the higher career PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career PIV to Ted Simmons's 20,131.
  • Who won more championships? Bob Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Simmons's 0.

Bob Gibson

Pitcher · 1959–1975
Wins
251
Losses
174
Strikeouts
3,117
ERA
2.91
WHIP
1.19
IP
3,884.1
View Bob Gibson's full profile →

Ted Simmons

Hitter · 1968–1988
Games
2,456
Hits
2,472
Home Runs
248
RBI
1,389
Avg
.285
OPS
.785
View Ted Simmons's full profile →

Career Stats, Each in His Own Role

Bob Gibson is shown on pitching lines and Ted Simmons on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.

Bob Gibson — Pitcher

Bob Gibson vs Ted Simmons: Career Stats Comparison — Bob Gibson — Pitcher
Statistic Bob Gibson
Wins 251
Losses 174
Games 528
Games Started 482
Complete Games 255
Shutouts 56
Saves 6
Strikeouts 3,117
Walks 1,336
Hits Allowed 3,279
Home Runs Allowed 257
Innings Pitched 3,884.1
ERA 2.91
WHIP 1.19
K/9 7.22
BB/9 3.10

Ted Simmons — Hitter

Bob Gibson vs Ted Simmons: Career Stats Comparison — Ted Simmons — Hitter
Statistic Ted Simmons
Games 2,456
At-Bats 8,680
Runs 1,074
Hits 2,472
Doubles 483
Triples 47
Home Runs 248
RBI 1,389
Walks 855
Strikeouts 694
Stolen Bases 21
Batting Avg .285
On-Base % .348
Slugging % .437
OPS .785

PIV Comparison through 2025

Bob Gibson carries a career pitching PIV of 69,720; Ted Simmons carries a career batting PIV of 20,131. Bob Gibson is the higher of the two at 69,720 to 20,131. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.

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.

Bob Gibson
69,720
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,101 per season (17 seasons)
Ted Simmons
20,131
Career PIV · 959 per season (21 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).

Bob Gibson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19681.12 ERA22-9, 268 K in 304 IP
19692.18 ERA20-13, 269 K in 314 IP
19662.44 ERA21-12, 225 K in 280 IP

Ted Simmons — top 3 seasons by OPS

1977.908 OPS21 HR, 95 RBI, .318 avg
1978.889 OPS22 HR, 80 RBI, .287 avg
1975.887 OPS18 HR, 100 RBI, .332 avg

Verdict

There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Bob Gibson and Ted Simmons: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Bob Gibson grades higher, 69,720 to 20,131. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Bob Gibson and Ted Simmons careers compare

From 1968 through 1975, Bob Gibson and Ted Simmons were in the majors together. As a pitcher, Bob Gibson went 251-174 with a 2.91 ERA and 3,117 strikeouts. As a hitter, Ted Simmons collected 2,472 hits and 248 home runs with a .785 OPS. No single table can grade a pitcher against a hitter, so each career is shown in its own discipline, with PIV as the common scale. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.12 ERA in 1968 for Bob Gibson and .908 OPS in 1977 for Ted Simmons.

Bob Gibson vs Ted Simmons: Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the higher career PIV?
Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career PIV to Ted Simmons's 20,131.
Who won more championships?
Bob Gibson, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Simmons's 0.
How do Bob Gibson and Ted Simmons compare?
Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 and Ted Simmons played 1968–1988; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.

See These Players in Another Era