Bob Gibson vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 as a pitcher; Don Sutton played 1966–1988 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 Don Sutton (1966–1988) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 10 seasons. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 strikeouts; Don Sutton finished with 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Don Sutton, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Bob Gibson's 3,117.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.
- How many innings did each pitch? Bob Gibson 3,884.1, Don Sutton 5,282.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Bob Gibson's 56.
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. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 251 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 256 |
| Games not scored | 528 | 774 |
| Games Started not scored | 482 | 756 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 56 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves not scored | 6 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 3,117 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,884.1 | 5,282.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson leads Don Sutton 69,720 to 63,310 — driven by per-season impact — 4,101 PIV per season to 2,753 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Gibson played 17 seasons to Don Sutton's 23. 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
Don Sutton leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, WHIP, and others. Bob Gibson leads 3: complete games, ERA, and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Sutton. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Bob Gibson higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bob Gibson and Don Sutton careers compare
The careers of Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) overlapped from 1966 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 528 games for Bob Gibson and 774 for Don Sutton across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bob Gibson are complete games (255 to 178), ERA (2.91 to 3.26), and strikeouts per nine (7.22 to 6.09). By rate, Bob Gibson struck out 7.22 and walked 3.10 per nine innings; Don Sutton struck out 6.09 and walked 2.29.
Bob Gibson vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Bob Gibson in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Bob Gibson's 3,117.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.