Jim Bunning vs Don Drysdale: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 as a pitcher; Don Drysdale played 1956–1969 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
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Don Drysdale (1956–1969) — both debuted in the 1950s. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Don Drysdale, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Don Drysdale, with 2.95 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Jim Bunning, with 224 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jim Bunning 3,760.1, Don Drysdale 3,432.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Jim Bunning's 40.
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. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Don Drysdale |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 224 | 209 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 166 |
| Games not scored | 591 | 518 |
| Games Started not scored | 519 | 465 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 167 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 49 |
| Saves not scored | 16 | 6 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 2,486 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 855 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 3,084 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 280 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,760.1 | 3,432.0 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.15 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 6.52 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale leads Jim Bunning 57,464 to 44,929 — driven by per-season impact — 4,105 PIV per season to 2,643 — rather than by longevity, since Don Drysdale played 14 seasons to Jim Bunning's 17. 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
Don Drysdale leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: complete games, shutouts, ERA, WHIP, and others. Jim Bunning leads 3: wins, strikeouts, and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Drysdale. PIV agrees: Don Drysdale grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bunning and Don Drysdale careers compare
Jim Bunning and Don Drysdale were active at the same time between 1956 and 1969. The two careers are close in length, 591 games for Jim Bunning and 518 for Don Drysdale across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jim Bunning comes out ahead, it is in wins (224 to 209), strikeouts (2,855 to 2,486), and strikeouts per nine (6.83 to 6.52). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 6.52 and 2.24 for Don Drysdale. Both had the same role: Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games); Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games).
Jim Bunning vs Don Drysdale: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Don Drysdale?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Drysdale leads Jim Bunning in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Don Drysdale, with 2.95 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Bunning, with 224 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.