Don Drysdale vs Pedro Martinez: 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; Pedro Martinez played 1992–2009 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 Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Pedro Martinez finished with 219 wins and 3,154 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Drysdale, with 3,432.0 to Pedro Martinez's 2,827.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Pedro Martinez's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pedro Martinez, with 113,314 career Pitcher PIV to Don Drysdale's 57,464.
Don Drysdale
Pedro Martinez
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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Pedro Martinez |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | Leads: 219 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 100 |
| Games | Leads: 518 | 476 |
| Games Started | Leads: 465 | 409 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 167 | 46 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 17 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,486 | Leads: 3,154 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 760 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 2,221 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 239 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,432.0 | 2,827.1 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.05 |
| K/9 | 6.52 | Leads: 10.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.42 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pedro Martinez outpaces Don Drysdale 113,314 to 57,464 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,295 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)
Pedro Martinez — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pedro Martinez 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 Pedro Martinez. PIV agrees: Pedro Martinez 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 Pedro Martinez careers compare
Don Drysdale (1956–1969) was finished before Pedro Martinez (1992–2009) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 518 games against 476 across 14 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 10.04 and 2.42 for Pedro Martinez. Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games), and Pedro Martinez was mainly a starter (409 starts in 476 games). The complete-game row, 167 against 46, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Pedro Martinez allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.05 WHIP to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
Don Drysdale vs Pedro Martinez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Pedro Martinez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Drysdale leads Pedro Martinez in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Pedro Martinez, with 2.93 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Pedro Martinez, with 219 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pedro Martinez, with 3,154 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pedro Martinez, with 1.05 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.