Juan Marichal vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Juan Marichal and Don Sutton are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — both debuted in the 1960s. Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 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? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Don Sutton's 1.14.
- How many innings did each pitch? Juan Marichal 3,507.1, Don Sutton 5,282.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Juan Marichal's 52.
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. 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 | Juan Marichal | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 243 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 256 |
| Games not scored | 471 | 774 |
| Games Started not scored | 457 | 756 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 244 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 52 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves not scored | 2 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,303 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 709 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,153 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 320 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,507.1 | 5,282.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.89 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.10 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.91 | Leads: 6.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton leads Juan Marichal 63,310 to 48,870 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Don Sutton played 23 seasons to Juan Marichal's 16, while Juan Marichal carries the higher per-season figure (3,054 to 2,753). 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
Juan Marichal and Don Sutton split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Don Sutton higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Juan Marichal and Don Sutton careers compare
The careers of Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) overlapped from 1966 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 471 games of Juan Marichal with 774 of Don Sutton across 16 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Don Sutton are wins (324 to 243), shutouts (58 to 52), and strikeouts (3,574 to 2,303). By rate, Juan Marichal struck out 5.91 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Don Sutton struck out 6.09 and walked 2.29.
Juan Marichal vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Juan Marichal or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Juan Marichal, with 2.89 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Juan Marichal's 2,303.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Don Sutton's 1.14.