Juan Marichal vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Juan Marichal compiled 243 wins and 2,303 strikeouts; Don Sutton put up 324 wins and 3,574 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Juan Marichal
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 | Juan Marichal | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 243 | 324 |
| Losses | 142 | 256 |
| Games | 471 | 774 |
| Games Started | 457 | 756 |
| Complete Games | 244 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 52 | 58 |
| Saves | 2 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,303 | 3,574 |
| Walks | 709 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed | 3,153 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 320 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,507 | 5,282 |
| ERA | 2.89 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.10 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.91 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 1.82 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton leads Juan Marichal 63,310 to 48,870 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,532 vs 3,054 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).
Juan Marichal — 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, K/9, and innings pitched, while Juan Marichal owns ERA and WHIP. 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.