Gaylord Perry vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gaylord Perry played 1962–1983 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
Gaylord Perry (1962–1983) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) — both debuted in the 1960s. Gaylord Perry finished with 314 wins and 3,534 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 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Gaylord Perry's 314.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Gaylord Perry's 3,534.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Gaylord Perry's 1.18.
- How many innings did each pitch? Gaylord Perry 5,350.1, Don Sutton 5,282.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Gaylord Perry's 53.
Gaylord Perry
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 | Gaylord Perry | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 314 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 265 | 256 |
| Games not scored | 777 | 774 |
| Games Started not scored | 690 | 756 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 303 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 53 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves not scored | 11 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 3,534 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 1,379 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,938 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 399 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,350.1 | 5,282.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.11 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.94 | Leads: 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 2.32 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gaylord Perry leads Don Sutton 78,312 to 63,310 — driven by per-season impact — 3,560 PIV per season to 2,753 — rather than by longevity, since Gaylord Perry played 22 seasons to Don Sutton's 23. 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).
Gaylord Perry — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Don Sutton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Don Sutton leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, WHIP, and others. Gaylord Perry leads 2: complete games and ERA. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Sutton. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Gaylord Perry higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton careers compare
Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton were active at the same time between 1966 and 1983. With 777 games against 774 across 22 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Gaylord Perry are complete games (303 to 178) and ERA (3.11 to 3.26). The per-nine rows read 5.94 strikeouts and 2.32 walks for Gaylord Perry, 6.09 and 2.29 for Don Sutton. Both had the same role: Gaylord Perry was mainly a starter (690 starts in 777 games); Don Sutton was mainly a starter (756 starts in 774 games). In WHIP, Don Sutton's 1.14 beats Gaylord Perry's 1.18.
Gaylord Perry vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gaylord Perry or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Gaylord Perry in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Gaylord Perry, with 3.11 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Gaylord Perry's 314.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Gaylord Perry's 3,534.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Gaylord Perry's 1.18.