Don Drysdale vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Career Stats Comparison
Don Drysdale has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has played 2024–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 Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 strikeouts; Yoshinobu Yamamoto has 33 wins and 488 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 2.61 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Don Drysdale, with 209 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP? Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Drysdale, with 3,432.0 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 448.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Drysdale, with 49 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Don Drysdale, with 57,464 career Pitcher PIV to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 8,844.
Don Drysdale
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Don Drysdale | Yoshinobu Yamamoto |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 209 | 33 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 19 |
| Games | Leads: 518 | 76 |
| Games Started | Leads: 465 | 76 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 167 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 49 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,486 | 488 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 310 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,432.0 | 448.2 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 2.61 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 0.97 |
| K/9 | 6.52 | Leads: 9.79 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.47 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale outpaces Yoshinobu Yamamoto 57,464 to 8,844 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Don Drysdale played 14 seasons to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 2, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto carries the higher per-season figure (4,422 to 4,105). 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)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto — top 2 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Don Drysdale leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto owns ERA, WHIP, and 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 Yoshinobu Yamamoto careers compare
Don Drysdale (1956–1969) was finished before Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2024–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Don Drysdale has the far longer record, 518 games against 76 across 14 and 2 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Yoshinobu Yamamoto are ERA (2.61 to 2.95), WHIP (0.97 to 1.15), and strikeouts per nine (9.79 to 6.52). By rate, Don Drysdale struck out 6.52 and walked 2.24 per nine innings; Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out 9.79 and walked 2.47. Both had the same role: Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games); Yoshinobu Yamamoto was mainly a starter (76 starts in 76 games). Because Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Don Drysdale vs Yoshinobu Yamamoto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Yoshinobu Yamamoto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Drysdale leads Yoshinobu Yamamoto in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 2.61 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Don Drysdale, with 209 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 33.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Yoshinobu Yamamoto's 488.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Yoshinobu Yamamoto, with 0.97 to Don Drysdale's 1.15.