Don Drysdale vs Blake Snell: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Blake Snell has played 2016–present 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 Blake Snell (2016–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Blake Snell has 85 wins and 1,495 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. 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 Blake Snell's 3.10.
- Who won more games? Don Drysdale, with 209 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Blake Snell's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Drysdale, with 3,432.0 to Blake Snell's 1,200.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Blake Snell's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Don Drysdale, with 57,464 career Pitcher PIV to Blake Snell's 27,494.
Don Drysdale
Blake Snell
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Blake Snell is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Blake Snell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 209 | 85 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 63 |
| Games | Leads: 518 | 231 |
| Games Started | Leads: 465 | 231 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 167 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,486 | 1,495 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 922 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 111 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,432.0 | 1,200.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.95 | 3.10 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | 6.52 | Leads: 11.21 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 4.03 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale outpaces Blake Snell 57,464 to 27,494 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,105 PIV per season to 2,749, across 14 seasons to 10. 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)
Blake Snell — 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 Blake Snell owns K/9. 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 Blake Snell careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Don Drysdale's ended in 1969, and Blake Snell debuted in 2016. Don Drysdale has the far longer record, 518 games against 231 across 14 and 10 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Blake Snell's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (11.21 to 6.52). The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 11.21 and 4.03 for Blake Snell. Both had the same role: Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games); Blake Snell was mainly a starter (231 starts in 231 games). The complete-game row, 167 against 1, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Because Blake Snell is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Don Drysdale vs Blake Snell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Blake Snell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Drysdale leads Blake Snell in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Don Drysdale, with 2.95 to Blake Snell's 3.10.
- Who won more games?
- Don Drysdale, with 209 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Blake Snell's 1.22.