Tom Glavine vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 as a pitcher; Don Sutton played 1966–1988 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
Tom Glavine (1987–2008) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 strikeouts; Don Sutton finished with 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Don Sutton, with 3.26 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Tom Glavine's 305.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Tom Glavine's 2,607.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Sutton, with 5,282.1 to Tom Glavine's 4,413.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Tom Glavine's 25.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Don Sutton, with 63,310 career Pitcher PIV to Tom Glavine's 40,421.
Tom Glavine
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. 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 1980s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tom Glavine | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 305 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 203 | 256 |
| Games | 682 | Leads: 774 |
| Games Started | 682 | Leads: 756 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 178 |
| Shutouts | 25 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,607 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 1,500 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,298 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 356 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,413.1 | Leads: 5,282.1 |
| ERA | 3.54 | Leads: 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.31 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.32 | Leads: 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 3.06 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton outpaces Tom Glavine 63,310 to 40,421 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,532 PIV per season to 1,837, across 25 seasons to 22. 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).
Tom Glavine — 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, ERA, and WHIP, while Tom Glavine owns no headline categories. 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.
Related Matchups
How the Tom Glavine and Don Sutton careers compare
Tom Glavine and Don Sutton were active at the same time between 1987 and 1988. With 682 games against 774 across 22 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Don Sutton. The per-nine rows read 5.32 strikeouts and 3.06 walks for Tom Glavine, 6.09 and 2.29 for Don Sutton. Both had the same role: Tom Glavine was mainly a starter (682 starts in 682 games); Don Sutton was mainly a starter (756 starts in 774 games). Complete games (56 to 178) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Don Sutton's 1.14 beats Tom Glavine's 1.31.
Tom Glavine vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tom Glavine or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Tom Glavine in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Don Sutton, with 3.26 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Tom Glavine's 305.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Tom Glavine's 2,607.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.