Don Drysdale vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale and Ed Walsh are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Don Drysdale played 1956–1969 as a pitcher; Ed Walsh played 1904–1917 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 Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Don Drysdale, with 209 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Drysdale, with 3,432.0 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Don Drysdale's 49.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Don Drysdale's 57,464.
Don Drysdale
Ed Walsh
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 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 209 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 518 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 465 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 167 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 49 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 6 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,486 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,432.0 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.52 | 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh leads Don Drysdale 62,631 to 57,464 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 4,105 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 seasons to Don Drysdale's 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)
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Don Drysdale leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Ed Walsh owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Drysdale. Note that PIV actually grades Ed Walsh ahead, which means Don Drysdale's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Don Drysdale and Ed Walsh careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ed Walsh's ended in 1917, and Don Drysdale debuted in 1956. The two careers are close in length, 518 games for Don Drysdale and 430 for Ed Walsh across 14 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Don Drysdale struck out 6.52 and walked 2.24 per nine innings; Ed Walsh struck out 5.27 and walked 1.87. Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). Ed Walsh allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.00 WHIP to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
Don Drysdale vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Don Drysdale, with 209 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.