Bob Gibson vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
Bob Gibson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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 Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — 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; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 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 Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Bob Gibson, with 251 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Bob Gibson, with 3,884.1 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Fernando Valenzuela's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Bob Gibson
Fernando Valenzuela
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 | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 251 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 153 |
| Games | Leads: 528 | 453 |
| Games Started | Leads: 482 | 424 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 113 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 31 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,884.1 | 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.91 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.19 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.10 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 69,720 to 30,102 — driven by per-season impact — 4,101 PIV per season to 1,672 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Gibson played 17 seasons to Fernando Valenzuela's 18. 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)
Fernando Valenzuela — 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 Fernando Valenzuela owns no headline categories. 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) was finished before Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 528 games for Bob Gibson and 453 for Fernando Valenzuela across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Bob Gibson. The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 6.37 and 3.54 for Fernando Valenzuela. Both had the same role: Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games); Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games). In WHIP, Bob Gibson's 1.19 beats Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
Bob Gibson vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Fernando Valenzuela?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bob Gibson leads Fernando Valenzuela in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bob Gibson, with 2.91 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Bob Gibson, with 251 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bob Gibson, with 1.19 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.