Jim Bunning
The second pitcher in history to strike out 100 batters in both leagues, Bunning was that rare breed who thrived after switching coasts and uniforms. His 2,855 career strikeouts ranked second all-time at retirement, a testament to a four-seam fastball and slider combination that fooled hitters across two decades.
Bunning's peak came during his Philadelphia years, where he posted a 146 ERA+ and threw the first perfect game in the National League's modern era on Father's Day 1964. His 224 wins split almost evenly between Detroit (118) and Philadelphia (89), showcasing remarkable consistency regardless of uniform.
The Kentucky native's durability was legendary — 591 games over 17 seasons with an arm that seemingly never wore down. His 110 career ERA+ in the high-offense 1960s proves he was far more than just a strikeout artist.
Career · Hitting
17 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | DET | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | .200 | .400 | — |
| 1956 | DET | 15 | 18 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .778 | — |
| 1957 | DET | 45 | 94 | 1 | 4 | .213 | .540 | — |
| 1958 | DET | 36 | 75 | 0 | 3 | .187 | .431 | — |
| 1959 | DET | 40 | 89 | 1 | 7 | .191 | .481 | — |
| 1960 | DET | 38 | 81 | 0 | 4 | .160 | .361 | — |
| 1961 | DET | 38 | 100 | 0 | 4 | .130 | .287 | — |
| 1962 | DET | 43 | 95 | 1 | 5 | .242 | .571 | — |
| 1963 | DET | 41 | 84 | 0 | 5 | .155 | .384 | — |
| 1964 | PHI | 41 | 99 | 0 | 8 | .121 | .261 | — |
| 1965 | PHI | 39 | 103 | 1 | 4 | .214 | .474 | — |
| 1966 | PHI | 43 | 106 | 0 | 5 | .179 | .408 | — |
| 1967 | PHI | 40 | 104 | 2 | 12 | .163 | .421 | — |
| 1968 | PIT | 27 | 51 | 0 | 3 | .098 | .216 | — |
| 1969 | PIT | 34 | 65 | 0 | 2 | .062 | .164 | — |
| 1970 | PHI | 35 | 71 | 0 | 6 | .127 | .275 | 39 |
| 1971 | PHI | 31 | 25 | 1 | 2 | .120 | .388 | 57 |
| Career | 601 | 1275 | 7 | 75 | .167 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
17 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | DET | 15 | 51.0 | 3 | 5 | 6.35 | 63 | 37 | 1.784 |
| 1956 | DET | 15 | 53.3 | 5 | 1 | 3.71 | 107 | 34 | 1.556 |
| 1957 | DET | 45 | 267.3 | 20 | 8 | 2.69 | 142 | 182 | 1.070 |
| 1958 | DET | 35 | 219.7 | 14 | 12 | 3.52 | 110 | 177 | 1.215 |
| 1959 | DET | 40 | 249.7 | 17 | 13 | 3.89 | 100 | 201 | 1.182 |
| 1960 | DET | 36 | 252.0 | 11 | 14 | 2.79 | 137 | 201 | 1.115 |
| 1961 | DET | 38 | 268.0 | 17 | 11 | 3.19 | 126 | 194 | 1.131 |
| 1962 | DET | 41 | 258.0 | 19 | 10 | 3.59 | 110 | 184 | 1.302 |
| 1963 | DET | 39 | 248.3 | 12 | 13 | 3.88 | 89 | 196 | 1.264 |
| 1964 | PHI | 41 | 284.3 | 19 | 8 | 2.63 | 136 | 219 | 1.034 |
| 1965 | PHI | 39 | 291.0 | 19 | 9 | 2.60 | 135 | 268 | 1.082 |
| 1966 | PHI | 43 | 314.0 | 19 | 14 | 2.41 | 146 | 252 | 1.003 |
| 1967 | PHI | 40 | 302.3 | 17 | 15 | 2.29 | 144 | 253 | 1.039 |
| 1968 | PIT | 27 | 160.0 | 4 | 14 | 3.88 | 77 | 95 | 1.350 |
| 1969 | PIT | 34 | 212.3 | 13 | 10 | 3.69 | 98 | 157 | 1.276 |
| 1970 | PHI | 34 | 219.0 | 10 | 15 | 4.11 | 94 | 147 | 1.320 |
| 1971 | PHI | 29 | 110.0 | 5 | 12 | 5.48 | 63 | 58 | 1.482 |
| Career | 591 | 3760.2 | 224 | 184 | — | — | 2855 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.