Don Drysdale vs Juan Marichal: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale (1956–1969) and Juan Marichal (1960–1975) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale compiled 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Juan Marichal put up 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Juan Marichal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | 243 |
| Losses | 166 | 142 |
| Games | 518 | 471 |
| Games Started | 465 | 457 |
| Complete Games | 167 | 244 |
| Shutouts | 49 | 52 |
| Saves | 6 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,486 | 2,303 |
| Walks | 855 | 709 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,084 | 3,153 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 280 | 320 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,432 | 3,507 |
| ERA | 2.95 | 2.89 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 6.52 | 5.91 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | 1.82 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale leads Juan Marichal 57,464 to 48,870 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,105 vs 3,054 per year). 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
On the head-to-head card, Juan Marichal leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Don Drysdale owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Marichal. Note that PIV actually grades Don Drysdale ahead, which means Juan Marichal's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.