Greg Maddux vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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
Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 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? Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Don Sutton's 324.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Sutton, with 5,282.1 to Greg Maddux's 5,008.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Greg Maddux's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Don Sutton's 63,310.
Greg Maddux
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 | Greg Maddux | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 324 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 256 |
| Games | 744 | Leads: 774 |
| Games Started | 740 | Leads: 756 |
| Complete Games | 109 | Leads: 178 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | 3,371 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,008.1 | Leads: 5,282.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.16 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 6.06 | Leads: 6.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Don Sutton 133,509 to 63,310 — driven by per-season impact — 5,340 PIV per season to 2,532 — rather than by longevity, since Greg Maddux played 25 seasons to Don Sutton's 25. 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).
Greg Maddux — 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 strikeouts, WHIP, K/9, and innings pitched, while Greg Maddux owns wins and ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Sutton. Note that PIV actually grades Greg Maddux ahead, which means Don Sutton's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Greg Maddux and Don Sutton careers compare
From 1986 through 1988, Greg Maddux and Don Sutton were in the majors together. With 744 games against 774 across 25 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Greg Maddux comes out ahead, it is in wins (355 to 324), ERA (3.16 to 3.26), and walks per nine (1.80 to 2.29). The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 6.09 and 2.29 for Don Sutton. Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games), and Don Sutton was mainly a starter (756 starts in 774 games). Don Sutton allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Greg Maddux's 1.14.
Greg Maddux vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Greg Maddux in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Don Sutton's 324.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Greg Maddux's 3,371.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.14.