The Season So Dominant That MLB Changed the Rules

There are great seasons, and then there’s what Bob Gibson did in 1968.

This wasn’t just an ace at his peak. This was domination on a level that made Major League Baseball say, “Yeah, we can’t let this happen again.”

Gibson’s numbers read like something out of a video game:

• 1.12 ERA: The lowest for a starter since the Dead Ball Era.
• 13 shutouts: More than some TEAMS had that year.
• 28 complete games in 34 starts: Including a 12-inning masterpiece.
• 268 strikeouts in 304.2 innings: Because why let anyone breathe?

This was pitching in its purest, most terrifying form. Hitters stood no chance. There was even a 95-inning stretch where he allowed just two runs. Imagine showing up every fifth day knowing you were probably already beaten.

Gibson was so dominant that MLB had to step in and lower the mound in 1969, trying to give hitters a fighting chance. (MLB lowered the mound from 15 inches to 10 inches, and scoring leaped from 6.84 runs a game to 8.14 in 1969.)

Of course, his Cardinals ran into a Detroit Tigers team that clawed back from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series, denying him a storybook ending. But even in Game 1 of that Series, Gibson struck out 17 batters, setting a Fall Classic record.

If there’s a shortlist of the most unstoppable seasons in baseball history, Bob Gibson’s 1968 isn’t just on it — it might be at the very top.

Gibson finished his career with 81.7 WAR, 251 wins, two Cy Young awards, and two World Series titles. He’s in Cooperstown, and his 1959 Topps rookie card is among the most valuable in the collectibles world.