Don Drysdale vs Bob Friend: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Don Drysdale played 1956–1969 as a pitcher; Bob Friend played 1951–1966 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
Don Drysdale (1956–1969) and Bob Friend (1951–1966) — both debuted in the 1950s. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Bob Friend finished with 197 wins and 1,734 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Don Drysdale, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Don Drysdale, with 2.95 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games? Don Drysdale, with 209 to Bob Friend's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Bob Friend's 1,734.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Bob Friend's 1.29.
- How many innings did each pitch? Don Drysdale 3,432.0, Bob Friend 3,611.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Bob Friend's 36.
Don Drysdale
Bob Friend
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 | Don Drysdale | Bob Friend |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 209 | 197 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 230 |
| Games not scored | 518 | 602 |
| Games Started not scored | 465 | 497 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 167 | 163 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 36 |
| Saves not scored | 6 | 11 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,486 | 1,734 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 894 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 3,772 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 286 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,432.0 | 3,611.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.95 | 3.58 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.29 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.52 | 4.32 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | Leads: 2.23 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale leads Bob Friend 57,464 to 45,735 — driven by per-season impact — 4,105 PIV per season to 2,858 — rather than by longevity, since Don Drysdale played 14 seasons to Bob Friend's 16. 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).
Don Drysdale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Bob Friend — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Don Drysdale leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Bob Friend leads 1: walks 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 Don Drysdale and Bob Friend careers compare
Don Drysdale and Bob Friend were active at the same time between 1956 and 1966. The two careers are close in length, 518 games for Don Drysdale and 602 for Bob Friend across 14 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bob Friend's edges on the table are walks per nine (2.23 to 2.24). The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 4.32 and 2.23 for Bob Friend. Both had the same role: Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games); Bob Friend was mainly a starter (497 starts in 602 games). In WHIP, Don Drysdale's 1.15 beats Bob Friend's 1.29.
Don Drysdale vs Bob Friend: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Bob Friend?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Drysdale leads Bob Friend in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Don Drysdale, with 2.95 to Bob Friend's 3.58.
- Who won more games?
- Don Drysdale, with 209 to Bob Friend's 197.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Bob Friend's 1,734.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Bob Friend's 1.29.