Jim Bunning vs Don Drysdale: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Don Drysdale (1956–1969) — both came up during the 1950s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jim Bunning compiled 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Don Drysdale put up 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Jim Bunning
Don Drysdale
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Don Drysdale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | 209 |
| Losses | 184 | 166 |
| Games | 591 | 518 |
| Games Started | 519 | 465 |
| Complete Games | 151 | 167 |
| Shutouts | 40 | 49 |
| Saves | 16 | 6 |
| Strikeouts | 2,855 | 2,486 |
| Walks | 1,000 | 855 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,433 | 3,084 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 372 | 280 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,760 | 3,432 |
| ERA | 3.27 | 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | 1.15 |
| K/9 | 6.83 | 6.52 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | 2.24 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale leads Jim Bunning 57,464 to 44,929 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,105 vs 2,496 per year). 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).
Jim Bunning — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Don Drysdale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bunning leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Don Drysdale owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Bunning. Note that PIV actually grades Don Drysdale ahead, which means Jim Bunning's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.