Gaylord Perry vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
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.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Gaylord Perry | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 314 | 324 |
| Losses | 265 | 256 |
| Games | 777 | 774 |
| Games Started | 690 | 756 |
| Complete Games | 303 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 53 | 58 |
| Saves | 11 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 3,534 | 3,574 |
| Walks | 1,379 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,938 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 399 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,350 | 5,282 |
| ERA | 3.11 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.94 | 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 2.32 | 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.