Doug Drabek vs Tom Glavine: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Glavine 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). Doug Drabek played 1986–1998 as a pitcher; Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 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
Doug Drabek (1986–1998) and Tom Glavine (1987–2008) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Doug Drabek finished with 155 wins and 1,594 strikeouts; Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Glavine, with 3.54 to Doug Drabek's 3.73.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to Doug Drabek's 155.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Doug Drabek's 1,594.
- Who had the better WHIP? Doug Drabek, with 1.24 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Tom Glavine, with 4,413.1 to Doug Drabek's 2,535.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Glavine, with 25 to Doug Drabek's 21.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tom Glavine, with 40,421 career Pitcher PIV to Doug Drabek's 18,199.
Doug Drabek
Tom Glavine
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Doug Drabek | Tom Glavine |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 155 | Leads: 305 |
| Losses not scored | 134 | 203 |
| Games | 398 | Leads: 682 |
| Games Started | 387 | Leads: 682 |
| Complete Games | 53 | Leads: 56 |
| Shutouts | 21 | Leads: 25 |
| Saves | 0 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 1,594 | Leads: 2,607 |
| Walks not scored | 704 | 1,500 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,448 | 4,298 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 246 | 356 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,535.0 | Leads: 4,413.1 |
| ERA | 3.73 | Leads: 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.24 | 1.31 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.66 | 5.32 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.50 | 3.06 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Glavine outpaces Doug Drabek 40,421 to 18,199 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,837 PIV per season to 1,400, across 22 seasons to 13. 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).
Doug Drabek — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tom Glavine — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Tom Glavine leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Doug Drabek owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Glavine. PIV agrees: Tom Glavine grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Doug Drabek and Tom Glavine careers compare
From 1987 through 1998, Doug Drabek and Tom Glavine were in the majors together. Tom Glavine has the far longer record, 682 games against 398 across 13 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Doug Drabek's edges on the table are WHIP (1.24 to 1.31), strikeouts per nine (5.66 to 5.32), and walks per nine (2.50 to 3.06). The per-nine rows read 5.66 strikeouts and 2.50 walks for Doug Drabek, 5.32 and 3.06 for Tom Glavine. Both had the same role: Doug Drabek was mainly a starter (387 starts in 398 games); Tom Glavine was mainly a starter (682 starts in 682 games). In WHIP, Doug Drabek's 1.24 beats Tom Glavine's 1.31.
Doug Drabek vs Tom Glavine: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Doug Drabek or Tom Glavine?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Glavine leads Doug Drabek in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Glavine, with 3.54 to Doug Drabek's 3.73.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to Doug Drabek's 155.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Glavine, with 2,607 to Doug Drabek's 1,594.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Doug Drabek, with 1.24 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.