Don Drysdale vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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 Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 10 seasons. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Juan Marichal, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Juan Marichal, with 243 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
- How many innings did each pitch? Don Drysdale 3,432.0, Juan Marichal 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Juan Marichal, with 52 to Don Drysdale's 49.
Don Drysdale
Juan Marichal
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 | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | Leads: 243 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 142 |
| Games not scored | 518 | 471 |
| Games Started not scored | 465 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 167 | Leads: 244 |
| Shutouts | 49 | Leads: 52 |
| Saves not scored | 6 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,486 | 2,303 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,432.0 | 3,507.1 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.52 | 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | Leads: 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale leads Juan Marichal 57,464 to 48,870 — driven by per-season impact — 4,105 PIV per season to 3,054 — rather than by longevity, since Don Drysdale played 14 seasons to Juan Marichal'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)
Juan Marichal — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Juan Marichal leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, ERA, and others. Don Drysdale leads 2: strikeouts and strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Marichal. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Don Drysdale higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Don Drysdale and Juan Marichal careers compare
The careers of Don Drysdale (1956–1969) and Juan Marichal (1960–1975) overlapped from 1960 to 1969, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 518 games for Don Drysdale and 471 for Juan Marichal across 14 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Don Drysdale comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts (2,486 to 2,303) and strikeouts per nine (6.52 to 5.91). The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 5.91 and 1.82 for Juan Marichal.
Don Drysdale vs Juan Marichal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Juan Marichal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Juan Marichal leads Don Drysdale in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Juan Marichal, with 243 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.