Sandy Koufax vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 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
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 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? Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Don Sutton's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Sutton, with 5,282.1 to Sandy Koufax's 2,324.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Sandy Koufax's 40.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Don Sutton, with 63,310 career Pitcher PIV to Sandy Koufax's 63,020.
Sandy Koufax
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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Sandy Koufax | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 165 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 256 |
| Games | 397 | Leads: 774 |
| Games Started | 314 | Leads: 756 |
| Complete Games | 137 | Leads: 178 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves | Leads: 9 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,396 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 817 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,754 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 204 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,324.1 | Leads: 5,282.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.76 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.28 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton edges Sandy Koufax 63,310 to 63,020 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Don Sutton played 25 seasons to Sandy Koufax's 12, while Sandy Koufax carries the higher per-season figure (5,252 to 2,532). 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).
Sandy Koufax — 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, and innings pitched, while Sandy Koufax owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. 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 Sandy Koufax and Don Sutton careers compare
The careers of Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) overlapped from 1966 to 1966, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Don Sutton has the far longer record, 774 games against 397 across 12 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Sandy Koufax's edges on the table are saves (9 to 5), ERA (2.76 to 3.26), and WHIP (1.11 to 1.14). By rate, Sandy Koufax struck out 9.28 and walked 3.16 per nine innings; Don Sutton struck out 6.09 and walked 2.29. Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games), and Don Sutton was mainly a starter (756 starts in 774 games).
Sandy Koufax vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sandy Koufax or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Sandy Koufax in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Sandy Koufax, with 2.76 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Don Sutton's 1.14.