Don Drysdale vs Sandy Koufax: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale has the better career line of the two, leading 5 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; Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 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 Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) — both debuted in the 1950s. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Don Drysdale, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Don Drysdale, with 209 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
- How many innings did each pitch? Don Drysdale 3,432.0, Sandy Koufax 2,324.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Sandy Koufax's 40.
Don Drysdale
Sandy Koufax
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 | Sandy Koufax |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 209 | 165 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 87 |
| Games not scored | 518 | 397 |
| Games Started not scored | 465 | 314 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 167 | 137 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 40 |
| Saves not scored | 6 | 9 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,486 | 2,396 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 817 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 1,754 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 204 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,432.0 | 2,324.1 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 2.76 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 6.52 | Leads: 9.28 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 3.16 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Sandy Koufax leads Don Drysdale 63,020 to 57,464 — driven by per-season impact — 5,252 PIV per season to 4,105 — rather than by longevity, since Sandy Koufax played 12 seasons to Don Drysdale's 14. 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)
Sandy Koufax — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Don Drysdale leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Sandy Koufax leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Drysdale. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Sandy Koufax higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax careers compare
Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax were active at the same time between 1956 and 1966. The two careers are close in length, 518 games for Don Drysdale and 397 for Sandy Koufax across 14 and 12 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Sandy Koufax are ERA (2.76 to 2.95), WHIP (1.11 to 1.15), and strikeouts per nine (9.28 to 6.52). The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 9.28 and 3.16 for Sandy Koufax. Both had the same role: Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games); Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games).
Don Drysdale vs Sandy Koufax: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Sandy Koufax?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Drysdale leads Sandy Koufax in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Don Drysdale, with 209 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.