Don Drysdale vs Clayton Kershaw: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Clayton Kershaw played 2008–2025 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 Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Drysdale, with 3,432.0 to Clayton Kershaw's 2,855.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Clayton Kershaw's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Don Drysdale's 57,464.
Don Drysdale
Clayton Kershaw
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Clayton Kershaw |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | Leads: 223 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 518 | 455 |
| Games Started | Leads: 465 | 451 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 167 | 25 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 15 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,486 | Leads: 3,052 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 713 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 2,193 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 235 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,432.0 | 2,855.1 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 2.53 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.02 |
| K/9 | 6.52 | Leads: 9.62 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.25 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw outpaces Don Drysdale 93,455 to 57,464 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,192 PIV per season to 4,105, across 18 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)
Clayton Kershaw — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Clayton Kershaw leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Don Drysdale owns innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Clayton Kershaw. PIV agrees: Clayton Kershaw 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 Clayton Kershaw careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Don Drysdale's ended in 1969, and Clayton Kershaw debuted in 2008. The two careers are close in length, 518 games for Don Drysdale and 455 for Clayton Kershaw across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 9.62 and 2.25 for Clayton Kershaw. Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games), and Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games). Complete games (167 to 25) show how differently the two eras used starters. Clayton Kershaw allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.02 WHIP to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
Don Drysdale vs Clayton Kershaw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Clayton Kershaw?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Drysdale leads Clayton Kershaw in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 2.53 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 223 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.