Bob Gibson vs John Smoltz: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; John Smoltz played 1988–2009 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 John Smoltz (1988–2009) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 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 John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to John Smoltz's 3,084.
- Who had the better WHIP? John Smoltz, with 1.18 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to John Smoltz's 3,473.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to John Smoltz's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Gibson's 69,720.
Bob Gibson
John Smoltz
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | John Smoltz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 213 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 155 |
| Games | 528 | Leads: 723 |
| Games Started | Leads: 482 | 481 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 53 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 16 |
| Saves | 6 | Leads: 154 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 3,084 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 1,010 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 3,074 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 3,473.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | 7.22 | Leads: 7.99 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz leads Bob Gibson 91,907 to 69,720 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,178 PIV per season to 4,101, across 22 seasons to 17. 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)
John Smoltz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bob Gibson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while John Smoltz owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bob Gibson. Note that PIV actually grades John Smoltz ahead, which means Bob Gibson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Gibson and John Smoltz careers compare
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) was finished before John Smoltz (1988–2009) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 528 games against 723 across 17 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 7.99 and 2.62 for John Smoltz. Their roles differ: Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games); John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games). Complete games (255 to 53) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, John Smoltz's 1.18 beats Bob Gibson's 1.19.
Bob Gibson vs John Smoltz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or John Smoltz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads John Smoltz in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to John Smoltz's 3,084.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- John Smoltz, with 1.18 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.