Don Drysdale vs Walter Johnson: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Don Drysdale played 1956–1969 as a pitcher; Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 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 Walter Johnson (1907–1927) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Don Drysdale's 3,432.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Don Drysdale's 49.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Don Drysdale's 57,464.
Don Drysdale
Walter Johnson
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 1950s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Walter Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | Leads: 417 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 279 |
| Games | 518 | Leads: 802 |
| Games Started | 465 | Leads: 666 |
| Complete Games | 167 | Leads: 531 |
| Shutouts | 49 | Leads: 110 |
| Saves | 6 | Leads: 34 |
| Strikeouts | 2,486 | Leads: 3,509 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 1,363 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 4,913 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 97 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,432.0 | Leads: 5,914.2 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 2.17 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.52 | 5.34 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | Leads: 2.07 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Don Drysdale 124,021 to 57,464 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 4,105, across 21 seasons to 14. 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).
Don Drysdale — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Walter Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Don Drysdale owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Walter Johnson. PIV agrees: Walter Johnson 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 Walter Johnson careers compare
No season is shared: Walter Johnson played 1907–1927, Don Drysdale 1956–1969. The table compares 518 games of Don Drysdale with 802 of Walter Johnson across 14 and 21 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Don Drysdale are strikeouts per nine (6.52 to 5.34). The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 5.34 and 2.07 for Walter Johnson. Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games), and Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games). The complete-game row, 167 against 531, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Walter Johnson's 1.06 beats Don Drysdale's 1.15.
Don Drysdale vs Walter Johnson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Walter Johnson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Don Drysdale in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.