Don Drysdale vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale (1956–1969) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — 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; Don Sutton put up 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Don Drysdale
Don Sutton
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 | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | 324 |
| Losses | 166 | 256 |
| Games | 518 | 774 |
| Games Started | 465 | 756 |
| Complete Games | 167 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 49 | 58 |
| Saves | 6 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,486 | 3,574 |
| Walks | 855 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,084 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 280 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,432 | 5,282 |
| ERA | 2.95 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.52 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton leads Don Drysdale 63,310 to 57,464 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,532 vs 4,105 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)
Don Sutton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Don Sutton leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Don Drysdale owns ERA and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Sutton. PIV agrees: Don Sutton grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.