Fergie Jenkins vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Fergie Jenkins and Don Sutton are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Fergie Jenkins played 1965–1983 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
Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — both debuted in the 1960s. Fergie Jenkins finished with 284 wins and 3,192 strikeouts; Don Sutton finished with 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Don Sutton, with 3.26 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Fergie Jenkins's 284.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Fergie Jenkins's 3,192.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.14.
- How many innings did each pitch? Fergie Jenkins 4,500.2, Don Sutton 5,282.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Fergie Jenkins's 49.
Fergie Jenkins
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fergie Jenkins | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 284 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 226 | 256 |
| Games not scored | 664 | 774 |
| Games Started not scored | 594 | 756 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 267 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 49 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves not scored | 7 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 3,192 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 997 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,142 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 484 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,500.2 | 5,282.1 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.38 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.99 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton outpaces Fergie Jenkins 63,310 to 40,614 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,753 PIV per season to 2,138, across 23 seasons to 19. 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).
Fergie Jenkins — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Don Sutton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Fergie Jenkins and Don Sutton split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Don Sutton higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Fergie Jenkins and Don Sutton careers compare
The careers of Fergie Jenkins (1965–1983) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) overlapped from 1966 to 1983, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 664 games for Fergie Jenkins and 774 for Don Sutton across 19 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Don Sutton are wins (324 to 284), shutouts (58 to 49), and strikeouts (3,574 to 3,192). The per-nine rows read 6.38 strikeouts and 1.99 walks for Fergie Jenkins, 6.09 and 2.29 for Don Sutton.
Fergie Jenkins vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fergie Jenkins or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Don Sutton, with 3.26 to Fergie Jenkins's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Fergie Jenkins's 284.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Fergie Jenkins's 3,192.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.14.