Jim Bunning
Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1955-1971)
Jim Bunning was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1971 for 4 teams, including the Detroit Tigers, a span of 17 seasons. Across 591 career appearances, he went 224-184 with a 3.27 ERA and 2,855 strikeouts. He also batted .167 with 7 home runs. Jim Bunning was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996 and was a 7-time All-Star. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 44928.5.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- 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
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'3" / 190 lb
- Died
- 5/26/2017 in Edgewood, KY, USA
- MLB Debut
- 1955-07-20
- Last Game
- 1971-09-03
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1996 (BBWAA)
- Awards
- 7× All-Star
Full name: James Paul David Bunning
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | DET | AL | 3 | 5 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 51.0 | 59 | 36 | 32 | 37 | 6.35 | 4.00 (-59%) | -1296.2 |
| 1956 | DET | AL | 5 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 53.1 | 55 | 22 | 28 | 34 | 3.71 | 3.96 (+6%) | -223.1 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 20 | 8 | 45 | 30 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 267.1 | 214 | 80 | 72 | 182 | 2.69 | 3.83 (+30%) | 1427.4 |
| 1958 | DET | AL | 14 | 12 | 35 | 34 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 219.2 | 188 | 86 | 79 | 177 | 3.52 | 3.86 (+9%) | 714.2 |
| 1959 | DET | AL | 17 | 13 | 40 | 35 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 249.2 | 220 | 108 | 75 | 201 | 3.89 | 3.90 (avg) | 73.5 |
| 1960 | DET | AL | 11 | 14 | 36 | 34 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 252.0 | 217 | 78 | 64 | 201 | 2.79 | 3.82 (+27%) | 6383.2 |
| 1961 | DET | AL | 17 | 11 | 38 | 37 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 268.0 | 232 | 95 | 71 | 194 | 3.19 | 4.03 (+21%) | 5598.6 |
| 1962 | DET | AL | 19 | 10 | 41 | 35 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 258.0 | 262 | 103 | 74 | 184 | 3.59 | 3.96 (+9%) | 2322.7 |
| 1963 | DET | AL | 12 | 13 | 39 | 35 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 248.1 | 245 | 107 | 69 | 196 | 3.88 | 3.46 (-12%) | -2016.3 |
| 1964 | PHI | NL | 19 | 8 | 41 | 39 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 284.1 | 248 | 83 | 46 | 219 | 2.63 | 3.58 (+27%) | 6255.6 |
| 1965 | PHI | NL | 19 | 9 | 39 | 39 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 291.0 | 253 | 84 | 62 | 268 | 2.60 | 3.50 (+26%) | 7966.3 |
| 1966 | PHI | NL | 19 | 14 | 43 | 41 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 314.0 | 260 | 84 | 55 | 252 | 2.41 | 3.52 (+32%) | 6582.4 |
| 1967 | PHI | NL | 17 | 15 | 40 | 40 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 302.1 | 241 | 77 | 73 | 253 | 2.29 | 3.30 (+31%) | 6508.9 |
| 1968 | PIT | NL | 4 | 14 | 27 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 160.0 | 168 | 69 | 48 | 95 | 3.88 | 2.98 (-30%) | -1612.3 |
| 1969 | PIT | NL | 10 | 9 | 25 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 156.0 | 147 | 66 | 49 | 124 | 3.81 | 3.61 (-5%) | 3232.1 |
| 1969 | LAN | NL | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 56.1 | 65 | 21 | 10 | 33 | 3.36 | 3.61 (+7%) | 763.9 |
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 10 | 15 | 34 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 219.0 | 233 | 100 | 56 | 147 | 4.11 | 3.89 (-6%) | 3349.3 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 5 | 12 | 29 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 110.0 | 126 | 67 | 37 | 58 | 5.48 | 3.47 (-58%) | -1101.7 |
| Career · 18 seasons | 224 | 184 | 591 | 519 | 151 | 40 | 16 | 3,760.1 | 3,433 | 1,366 | 1,000 | 2,855 | 3.27 | — | 44,929 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 601 | 1,275 | 82 | 213 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 75 | 0 | 34 | 362 | .167 | .188 | .206 | .395 | -8,223 |
Career AVG .167 vs. league average .251 across their career seasons — 33.5% below league average.
Career OBP .188 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — 40.8% below league average.
Career SLG .206 vs. league average .379 across their career seasons — 45.5% below league average.
Career OPS .395 vs. league average .697 across their career seasons — 43.4% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | DET | AL | 15 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1956 | DET | AL | 15 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .333 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1957 | DET | AL | 45 | 94 | 10 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 29 | .213 | .257 (-17%) | .323 (-22%) | .391 (-27%) | .715 (-25%) | -370.0 |
| 1958 | DET | AL | 36 | 75 | 7 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 24 | .187 | .257 (-28%) | .324 (-33%) | .394 (-46%) | .719 (-40%) | -473.9 |
| 1959 | DET | AL | 40 | 89 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 25 | .191 | .256 (-26%) | .323 (-28%) | .392 (-37%) | .715 (-33%) | -461.8 |
| 1960 | DET | AL | 38 | 81 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 22 | .160 | .255 (-37%) | .323 (-42%) | .387 (-55%) | .711 (-49%) | -634.4 |
| 1961 | DET | AL | 38 | 100 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 30 | .130 | .258 (-50%) | .328 (-55%) | .399 (-65%) | .727 (-61%) | -967.1 |
| 1962 | DET | AL | 43 | 95 | 9 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 19 | .242 | .257 (-6%) | .326 (-22%) | .393 (-20%) | .719 (-21%) | -334.5 |
| 1963 | DET | AL | 41 | 84 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 15 | .155 | .246 (-37%) | .308 (-37%) | .371 (-49%) | .680 (-44%) | -555.1 |
| 1964 | PHI | NL | 41 | 99 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 29 | .121 | .250 (-52%) | .312 (-62%) | .377 (-63%) | .690 (-62%) | -952.5 |
| 1965 | PHI | NL | 39 | 103 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 25 | .214 | .245 (-13%) | .310 (-29%) | .371 (-32%) | .682 (-31%) | -481.9 |
| 1966 | PHI | NL | 43 | 106 | 10 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 39 | .179 | .248 (-28%) | .309 (-35%) | .376 (-45%) | .685 (-41%) | -662.8 |
| 1967 | PHI | NL | 40 | 104 | 8 | 17 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 33 | .163 | .242 (-33%) | .306 (-44%) | .357 (-30%) | .663 (-37%) | -581.7 |
| 1968 | PIT | NL | 27 | 51 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | .098 | .236 (-59%) | .298 (-67%) | .340 (-65%) | .638 (-66%) | -483.6 |
| 1969 | PIT | NL | 25 | 47 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 12 | .043 | — | — | — | — | -570.1 |
| 1969 | LAN | NL | 9 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .111 | — | — | — | — | -570.1 |
| 1970 | PHI | NL | 35 | 71 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 18 | .127 | .253 (-50%) | .325 (-54%) | .385 (-67%) | .711 (-61%) | -693.1 |
| 1971 | PHI | NL | 31 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 9 | .120 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 18 seasons | 601 | 1,275 | 82 | 213 | 21 | 4 | 7 | 75 | 0 | 34 | 362 | .167 | — | — | — | — | -8,793 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (1192 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 303 | 602 | 41 | 99 | 0 | 29 | .164 |
| Away | 298 | 673 | 41 | 114 | 7 | 46 | .169 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 299 | 1904.0 | 1736 | 711 | 494 | 1487 | 3.36 |
| Away | 292 | 1856.0 | 1697 | 654 | 506 | 1368 | 3.17 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-09-03 | PHI | NYN | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-08-29 | PHI | SFG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-08-25 | PHI | SDP | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-08-17 | PHI | SFG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-08-12 | PHI | LAD | W | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1971-08-10 | PHI | LAD | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-07-27 | PHI | HOU | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-07-21 | PHI | STL | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-07-18 | PHI | HOU | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-07-15 | PHI | CHC | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971-09-03 | PHI | NYN | — | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-08-29 | PHI | SFG | — | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1971-08-25 | PHI | SDP | — | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-08-17 | PHI | SFG | — | 2.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-08-10 | PHI | LAD | — | 3.0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1971-07-27 | PHI | HOU | — | 1.0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1971-07-21 | PHI | STL | — | 1.0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-07-18 | PHI | HOU | L | 1.0 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971-07-15 | PHI | CHC | L | 2.1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 1971-07-11 | PHI | WSN | — | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | DET | P | 15 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| 1956 | DET | P | 15 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1957 | DET | P | 45 | 30 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 1958 | DET | P | 35 | 34 | 9 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 1959 | DET | P | 40 | 35 | 11 | 16 | 3 | 1 |
| 1960 | DET | P | 36 | 34 | 11 | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| 1961 | DET | P | 38 | 37 | 21 | 29 | 3 | 6 |
| 1962 | DET | P | 41 | 35 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| 1963 | DET | P | 39 | 35 | 18 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
| 1964 | PHI | P | 41 | 39 | 10 | 31 | 3 | 2 |
| 1965 | PHI | P | 39 | 39 | 29 | 40 | 3 | 2 |
| 1966 | PHI | P | 43 | 41 | 18 | 30 | 2 | 0 |
| 1967 | PHI | P | 40 | 40 | 16 | 33 | 1 | 1 |
| 1968 | PIT | P | 27 | 26 | 6 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| 1969 | PIT | P | 25 | 25 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| 1969 | LAN | P | 9 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | PHI | P | 34 | 33 | 12 | 27 | 2 | 1 |
| 1971 | PHI | P | 29 | 16 | 5 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 591 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | TSN All-Star | P |
| 1957 | TSN All-Star | P |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | Cy Young Award | NL | 2nd | 1.0 | 20 | 1 |
| 1967 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 22th | 5.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1964 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 13th | 23.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1962 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 21th | 8.0 | 280 | 0 |
| 1960 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 24th | 3.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1957 | Most Valuable Player | AL | 9th | 46.0 | 336 | 0 |
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
Jim Bunning (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
Compare Jim Bunning
See Jim Bunning in Another Era
Jim Bunning: the record in brief
Jim Bunning's major league career runs from a debut on July 20, 1955 to a final game on September 3, 1971. By club, Bunning's seasons break down as the Detroit Tigers (1955 through 1963), the Philadelphia Phillies (1964 to 1971), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1968 to 1969), and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1969). Bunning, born on October 23, 1931, in Southgate, KY, USA, is listed as a pitcher and both batted and threw right-handed. Size on record: 190 pounds on a 6-foot-3 frame. Bunning's death is recorded on May 26, 2017, in Edgewood, KY, USA. Bunning's full given name, per the bio, is James Paul David Bunning.
Bunning's career pitching line is 224 wins, 184 losses and a 3.27 ERA over 591 appearances. Also on Bunning's record: 2,855 strikeouts, 151 complete games, 40 shutouts, and 16 saves. Against a 3.66 league ERA for the same years, Bunning was 10.8% better. 1957 brought Bunning a season-high 20 wins. The strikeout high was 268 in 1965.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jim Bunning
- What years did Jim Bunning play?
- Jim Bunning played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1971.
- Was Jim Bunning a pitcher?
- Yes. Jim Bunning pitched in the major leagues, recording 224 wins and 2855 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did Jim Bunning hit?
- Jim Bunning hit 7 career home runs with 213 hits.
- Is Jim Bunning in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Jim Bunning was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.
- What was Jim Bunning's career batting average?
- Jim Bunning batted .167 over his career, with 213 hits in 1,275 at bats.
- How many RBI did Jim Bunning have?
- Jim Bunning drove in 75 runs in his career.