Don Drysdale vs Gil Hodges: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale and Gil Hodges played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Don Drysdale played 1956–1969 as a pitcher; Gil Hodges played 1943–1963 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Don Drysdale (1956–1969) and Gil Hodges (1943–1963) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Don Drysdale pitched, totalling 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Gil Hodges hit, totalling 1,921 hits and 370 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Don Drysdale, with 57,464 career PIV to Gil Hodges's 24,928.
- Who won more championships? Don Drysdale, with 3 World Series titles to Gil Hodges's 2.
Don Drysdale
Gil Hodges
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Don Drysdale is shown on pitching lines and Gil Hodges on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Don Drysdale — Pitcher
| Statistic | Don Drysdale |
|---|---|
| Wins | 209 |
| Losses | 166 |
| Games | 518 |
| Games Started | 465 |
| Complete Games | 167 |
| Shutouts | 49 |
| Saves | 6 |
| Strikeouts | 2,486 |
| Walks | 855 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,084 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 280 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,432.0 |
| ERA | 2.95 |
| WHIP | 1.15 |
| K/9 | 6.52 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 |
Gil Hodges — Hitter
| Statistic | Gil Hodges |
|---|---|
| Games | 2,071 |
| At-Bats | 7,030 |
| Runs | 1,105 |
| Hits | 1,921 |
| Doubles | 295 |
| Triples | 48 |
| Home Runs | 370 |
| RBI | 1,274 |
| Walks | 943 |
| Strikeouts | 1,137 |
| Stolen Bases | 63 |
| Batting Avg | .273 |
| On-Base % | .359 |
| Slugging % | .487 |
| OPS | .846 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Don Drysdale carries a career pitching PIV of 57,464; Gil Hodges carries a career batting PIV of 24,928. Don Drysdale is the higher of the two at 57,464 to 24,928. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Don Drysdale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Gil Hodges — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Don Drysdale and Gil Hodges: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Don Drysdale grades higher, 57,464 to 24,928. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Don Drysdale and Gil Hodges careers compare
From 1956 through 1963, Don Drysdale and Gil Hodges were in the majors together. As a pitcher, Don Drysdale went 209-166 with a 2.95 ERA and 2,486 strikeouts. As a hitter, Gil Hodges collected 1,921 hits and 370 home runs with a .846 OPS. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, 2.15 ERA in 1968 for Don Drysdale and .952 OPS in 1954 for Gil Hodges.
Don Drysdale vs Gil Hodges: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Don Drysdale, with 57,464 career PIV to Gil Hodges's 24,928.
- Who won more championships?
- Don Drysdale, with 3 World Series titles to Gil Hodges's 2.
- How do Don Drysdale and Gil Hodges compare?
- Don Drysdale played 1956–1969 and Gil Hodges played 1943–1963; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.