Tommy John vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Tommy John (1963–1989) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tommy John compiled 288 wins and 2,245 strikeouts; Don Sutton put up 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Tommy John
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Tommy John | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 288 | 324 |
| Losses | 231 | 256 |
| Games | 760 | 774 |
| Games Started | 700 | 756 |
| Complete Games | 162 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 46 | 58 |
| Saves | 4 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,245 | 3,574 |
| Walks | 1,259 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,783 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 302 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,710 | 5,282 |
| ERA | 3.34 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 4.29 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 2.41 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton outpaces Tommy John 63,310 to 39,802 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,532 vs 1,422 per year). 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).
Tommy John — 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 Tommy John 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.