Don Drysdale vs Hal Newhouser: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Hal Newhouser played 1939–1955 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 Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1930s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Hal Newhouser finished with 207 wins and 1,796 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Don Drysdale, with 2.95 to Hal Newhouser's 3.06.
- Who won more games? Don Drysdale, with 209 to Hal Newhouser's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Hal Newhouser's 1,796.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Drysdale, with 3,432.0 to Hal Newhouser's 2,993.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Hal Newhouser's 33.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Don Drysdale, with 57,464 career Pitcher PIV to Hal Newhouser's 43,492.
Don Drysdale
Hal Newhouser
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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Hal Newhouser |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 209 | 207 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 150 |
| Games | Leads: 518 | 488 |
| Games Started | Leads: 465 | 374 |
| Complete Games | 167 | Leads: 212 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 33 |
| Saves | 6 | Leads: 26 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,486 | 1,796 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 1,249 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 2,674 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 137 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,432.0 | 2,993.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.95 | 3.06 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.31 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.52 | 5.40 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 3.76 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale leads Hal Newhouser 57,464 to 43,492 — driven by per-season impact — 4,105 PIV per season to 2,558 — rather than by longevity, since Don Drysdale played 14 seasons to Hal Newhouser's 17. 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)
Hal Newhouser — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Don Drysdale leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Hal Newhouser owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Drysdale. PIV agrees: Don Drysdale 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 Hal Newhouser careers compare
Hal Newhouser (1939–1955) was finished before Don Drysdale (1956–1969) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 518 games for Don Drysdale and 488 for Hal Newhouser across 14 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Hal Newhouser are complete games (212 to 167) and saves (26 to 6). The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 5.40 and 3.76 for Hal Newhouser. Both had the same role: Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games); Hal Newhouser was mainly a starter (374 starts in 488 games).
Don Drysdale vs Hal Newhouser: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Hal Newhouser?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Drysdale leads Hal Newhouser in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Don Drysdale, with 2.95 to Hal Newhouser's 3.06.
- Who won more games?
- Don Drysdale, with 209 to Hal Newhouser's 207.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Hal Newhouser's 1,796.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Hal Newhouser's 1.31.