Jerry Koosman vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jerry Koosman played 1967–1985 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
Jerry Koosman (1967–1985) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — both debuted in the 1960s. Jerry Koosman finished with 222 wins and 2,556 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? Don Sutton, in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Don Sutton, with 3.26 to Jerry Koosman's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Jerry Koosman's 222.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Jerry Koosman's 2,556.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Jerry Koosman's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jerry Koosman 3,839.1, Don Sutton 5,282.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Jerry Koosman's 33.
Jerry Koosman
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 | Jerry Koosman | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 222 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 209 | 256 |
| Games not scored | 612 | 774 |
| Games Started not scored | 527 | 756 |
| Complete Games | 140 | Leads: 178 |
| Shutouts | 33 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves not scored | 17 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,556 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 1,198 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,635 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 290 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,839.1 | 5,282.1 |
| ERA | 3.36 | Leads: 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.99 | Leads: 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 2.81 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton outpaces Jerry Koosman 63,310 to 42,939 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,753 PIV per season to 2,260, 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).
Jerry Koosman — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Don Sutton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Don Sutton leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Jerry Koosman leads 0: no scored category. 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 Jerry Koosman and Don Sutton careers compare
Jerry Koosman and Don Sutton were active at the same time between 1967 and 1985. With 612 games against 774 across 19 and 23 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 5.99 strikeouts and 2.81 walks for Jerry Koosman, 6.09 and 2.29 for Don Sutton. Jerry Koosman was mainly a starter (527 starts in 612 games), and Don Sutton was mainly a starter (756 starts in 774 games). In WHIP, Don Sutton's 1.14 beats Jerry Koosman's 1.26.
Jerry Koosman vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jerry Koosman or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Jerry Koosman in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Don Sutton, with 3.26 to Jerry Koosman's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Jerry Koosman's 222.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Jerry Koosman's 2,556.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Jerry Koosman's 1.26.