Gaylord Perry vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. 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 came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Gaylord Perry compiled 314 wins and 3,534 strikeouts; Don Sutton put up 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? 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.
- Who pitched more innings? Gaylord Perry, with 5,350 to Don Sutton's 5,282.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Gaylord Perry's 53.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gaylord Perry, with 78,312 career Pitcher PIV to Don Sutton's 63,310.
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Gaylord Perry | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 314 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses | 265 | 256 |
| Games | Leads: 777 | 774 |
| Games Started | 690 | Leads: 756 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 303 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 53 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves | Leads: 11 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 3,534 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks | 1,379 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,938 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 399 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,350 | 5,282 |
| 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 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,132 vs 2,532 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).
Gaylord Perry — 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, WHIP, and K/9, while Gaylord Perry owns ERA and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Sutton. Note that PIV actually grades Gaylord Perry ahead, which means Don Sutton's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
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 7 of 12 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.