Don Drysdale vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Justin Verlander 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; Justin Verlander has played 2005–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 Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 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 Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Justin Verlander, with 266 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Justin Verlander, with 3,576.2 to Don Drysdale's 3,432.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Don Drysdale's 57,464.
Don Drysdale
Justin Verlander
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | Leads: 266 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 159 |
| Games | 518 | Leads: 557 |
| Games Started | 465 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 167 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,486 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,432.0 | Leads: 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.95 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.52 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander leads Don Drysdale 68,171 to 57,464 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Justin Verlander played 22 seasons to Don Drysdale's 14, while Don Drysdale carries the higher per-season figure (4,105 to 3,099). 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)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Don Drysdale owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Justin Verlander. PIV agrees: Justin Verlander 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 Justin Verlander careers compare
Don Drysdale (1956–1969) was finished before Justin Verlander (2005–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 518 games for Don Drysdale and 557 for Justin Verlander across 14 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 8.96 and 2.53 for Justin Verlander. Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Complete games (167 to 26) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Justin Verlander's 1.14 beats Don Drysdale's 1.15. Justin Verlander's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Don Drysdale vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Justin Verlander leads Don Drysdale in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Don Drysdale, with 2.95 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Justin Verlander, with 266 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Don Drysdale's 2,486.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.