Gerrit Cole vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present as a pitcher; Don Sutton played 1966–1988 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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; Don Sutton finished with 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Don Sutton's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Sutton, with 5,282.1 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Don Sutton, with 63,310 career Pitcher PIV to Gerrit Cole's 50,909.
Gerrit Cole
Don Sutton
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. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2010s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 256 |
| Games | 339 | Leads: 774 |
| Games Started | 339 | Leads: 756 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 178 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,382 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,081.0 | Leads: 5,282.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.20 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.27 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton leads Gerrit Cole 63,310 to 50,909 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Don Sutton played 25 seasons to Gerrit Cole's 12, while Gerrit Cole carries the higher per-season figure (4,242 to 2,532). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Gerrit Cole — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Don Sutton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Don Sutton leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Gerrit Cole owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Sutton. PIV agrees: Don Sutton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gerrit Cole and Don Sutton careers compare
Don Sutton (1966–1988) was finished before Gerrit Cole (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 339 games of Gerrit Cole with 774 of Don Sutton across 12 and 25 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Gerrit Cole comes out ahead, it is in ERA (3.20 to 3.26), WHIP (1.09 to 1.14), and strikeouts per nine (10.30 to 6.09). The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 6.09 and 2.29 for Don Sutton. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), and Don Sutton was mainly a starter (756 starts in 774 games). Gerrit Cole's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Gerrit Cole vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Gerrit Cole in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gerrit Cole, with 3.20 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Don Sutton's 1.14.