Bob Gibson vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson compiled 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Don Sutton put up 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Bob Gibson
Don Sutton
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Bob Gibson | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 251 | 324 |
| Losses | 174 | 256 |
| Games | 528 | 774 |
| Games Started | 482 | 756 |
| Complete Games | 255 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 56 | 58 |
| Saves | 6 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 3,117 | 3,574 |
| Walks | 1,336 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,279 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 257 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,884 | 5,282 |
| ERA | 2.91 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 7.22 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson leads Don Sutton 69,720 to 63,310 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,101 vs 2,532 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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)
Don Sutton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Don Sutton leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Bob Gibson owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Sutton. Note that PIV actually grades Bob Gibson ahead, which means Don Sutton's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.