Sandy Koufax

Pitcher · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (1955-1966)

Sandy Koufax was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1966 for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a span of 12 seasons. Across 397 career appearances, he went 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA and 2,396 strikeouts. He also batted .097 with 2 home runs. Sandy Koufax was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972 and was a 6-time All-Star, an MVP, a 3-time Cy Young, a 2-time World Series MVP, a 2-time Babe Ruth Award, and a 3-time Pitching Triple Crown. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 63019.6.

W (Wins):
Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
ERA (Earned Run Average):
Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
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

⭐ Hall of Fame 1972
W–L 165–87
ERA 2.76
WHIP 1.11
SO 2,396
Pitcher PIV 63019.6
Position
Pitcher
Bats / Throws
R / L
Height / Weight
6'2" / 210 lb
Born
12/30/1935 in Brooklyn, NY, USA
MLB Debut
1955-06-24
Last Game
1966-10-02
Hall of Fame
Inducted 1972 (BBWAA)
Awards
6× All-Star · MVP · 3× Cy Young · 2× World Series MVP · 2× Babe Ruth Award · 3× Pitching Triple Crown

Full name: Sanford Koufax

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Career Pitching Statistics

Sandy Koufax — Career Pitching Statistics
W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
165 87 397 314 137 40 9 2324.1 1,754 713 204 817 2,396 2.76 63019.6

Career ERA 2.76 vs. league average 3.77 across their career seasons — 26.7% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Pitching Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Sandy Koufax Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1955 BRO NL 2 2 12 5 2 2 0 41.2 33 14 28 30 3.02 4.00 (+24%) 376.7
1956 BRO NL 2 4 16 10 0 0 0 58.2 66 32 29 30 4.91 3.96 (-24%) -1585.4
1957 BRO NL 5 4 34 13 2 0 0 104.1 83 45 51 122 3.88 3.83 (-1%) 1191.6
1958 LAN NL 11 11 40 26 5 0 1 158.2 132 79 105 131 4.48 3.86 (-16%) -2080.6
1959 LAN NL 8 6 35 23 6 1 2 153.1 136 69 92 173 4.05 3.90 (-4%) -507.9
1960 LAN NL 8 13 37 26 7 2 1 175.0 133 76 100 197 3.91 3.82 (-2%) 1473.2
1961 LAN NL 18 13 42 35 15 2 1 255.2 212 100 96 269 3.52 4.03 (+13%) 6876.8
1962 LAN NL 14 7 28 26 11 2 1 184.1 134 52 57 216 2.54 3.96 (+36%) 8631.7
1963 LAN NL 25 5 40 40 20 11 0 311.0 214 65 58 306 1.88 3.46 (+46%) 13293.4
1964 LAN NL 19 5 29 28 15 7 1 223.0 154 43 53 223 1.74 3.58 (+52%) 8773.8
1965 LAN NL 26 8 43 41 27 8 2 335.2 216 76 71 382 2.04 3.50 (+42%) 14098.3
1966 LAN NL 27 9 41 41 27 5 0 323.0 241 62 77 317 1.73 3.52 (+51%) 12477.9
Career · 12 seasons 165 87 397 314 137 40 9 2,324.1 1,754 713 817 2,396 2.76 — 63,020

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Career Batting Statistics

Sandy Koufax — Career Batting Statistics
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
397 776 26 75 9 0 2 28 0 43 386 .097 .145 .116 .261 -6,816

Career AVG .097 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 61.9% below league average.

Career OBP .145 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 54.9% below league average.

Career SLG .116 vs. league average .386 across their career seasons — 70.0% below league average.

Career OPS .261 vs. league average .707 across their career seasons — 63.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Career Arc

Click a stat to plot it across every season.

Sandy Koufax Stats, Bio & Career Records
Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1955 BRO NL 12 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 .000 — — — — 0.0
1956 BRO NL 16 17 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 12 .118 — — — — 0.0
1957 BRO NL 34 26 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18 .000 — — — — 0.0
1958 LAN NL 40 49 2 6 1 0 0 1 0 1 26 .122 — — — — -471.6
1959 LAN NL 35 54 3 6 3 0 0 0 0 2 29 .111 .256 (-57%) .323 (-56%) .392 (-57%) .715 (-57%) -492.5
1960 LAN NL 37 57 1 7 0 0 0 1 0 3 28 .123 .255 (-52%) .323 (-49%) .387 (-68%) .711 (-59%) -525.9
1961 LAN NL 42 77 3 5 0 0 0 2 0 9 35 .065 .258 (-75%) .328 (-50%) .399 (-84%) .727 (-69%) -840.5
1962 LAN NL 28 69 1 6 0 0 1 4 0 2 42 .087 .257 (-66%) .326 (-65%) .393 (-67%) .719 (-66%) -727.8
1963 LAN NL 40 110 3 7 0 0 1 7 0 6 51 .064 .246 (-74%) .308 (-64%) .371 (-76%) .680 (-70%) -1176.2
1964 LAN NL 29 74 3 7 0 0 0 1 0 3 32 .095 .250 (-62%) .312 (-55%) .377 (-75%) .690 (-66%) -735.3
1965 LAN NL 43 113 4 20 2 0 0 7 0 10 44 .177 .245 (-28%) .310 (-22%) .371 (-48%) .682 (-36%) -601.8
1966 LAN NL 41 118 5 9 3 0 0 5 0 5 57 .076 .248 (-69%) .309 (-64%) .376 (-73%) .685 (-69%) -1244.6
Career · 12 seasons 397 776 26 75 9 0 2 28 0 43 386 .097 — — — — -6,816

Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

Sandy Koufax — Playoff Career Batting
G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
8 19 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 8 .053

Playoff Batting by Year

Sandy Koufax — Playoff Batting by Year
Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1966 WS LAN 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
1965 WS LAN 3 9 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 5 .111
1963 WS LAN 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000
1959 WS LAN 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

Sandy Koufax — Playoff Career Pitching
W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
4 3 8 7 0 57.0 36 6 11 61 0.95

Playoff Pitching by Year

Sandy Koufax — Playoff Pitching by Year
Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1966 WS LAN 0 1 1 1 0 6.0 6 1 2 2 1.50
1965 WS LAN 2 1 3 3 0 24.0 13 1 5 29 0.38
1963 WS LAN 2 0 2 2 0 18.0 12 3 3 23 1.50
1959 WS LAN 0 1 2 1 0 9.0 5 1 1 7 1.00

Game Log & Splits

View full game log (790 games) →

Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).

Batting — Home / Away

Sandy Koufax — Batting — Home / Away
SplitGABRHHRRBIAVG
Home1893541430010.085
Away2064221245218.107

Pitching — Home / Away

Sandy Koufax — Pitching — Home / Away
SplitGIPHERBBSOERA
Home1891157.183631937112172.48
Away2061165.191439144311783.02

Last 10 Games — Batting

Sandy Koufax — Last 10 Games — Batting
DateTmOppResABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSO
1966-10-02 LADPHIW 400000003
1966-09-29 LADSTLW 301100000
1966-09-25 LADCHCL 200000002
1966-09-20 LADPHIW 501000101
1966-09-16 LADPITW 210000011
1966-09-11 LADHOUW 210000011
1966-09-07 LADSFGL 200000001
1966-09-03 LADCINW 300000001
1966-08-30 LADNYNL 101000000
1966-08-26 LADSFGW 300000101

Last 10 Games — Pitching

Sandy Koufax — Last 10 Games — Pitching
DateTmOppDecIPHRERBBSOHR
1966-10-02 LADPHI W 9.07321100
1966-09-29 LADSTL W 9.04111131
1966-09-25 LADCHC L 8.0421250
1966-09-20 LADPHI W 9.0511360
1966-09-16 LADPIT W 9.0511350
1966-09-11 LADHOU W 9.0600260
1966-09-07 LADSFG — 7.0522361
1966-09-03 LADCIN W 6.0833141
1966-08-30 LADNYN L 2.0465310
1966-08-26 LADSFG W 9.0400170

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Sandy Koufax — Career Fielding Totals by Position
Position G GS PO A E DP
P 397 314 64 228 14 13

Season-by-Season Fielding

Sandy Koufax — Season-by-Season Fielding
Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1955 BRO P 12 5 1 6 1 0
1956 BRO P 16 10 4 3 0 0
1957 BRO P 34 13 3 4 1 0
1958 LAN P 40 26 6 21 1 3
1959 LAN P 35 23 4 16 1 1
1960 LAN P 37 26 6 18 0 1
1961 LAN P 42 35 7 26 2 2
1962 LAN P 28 26 3 16 2 0
1963 LAN P 40 40 4 34 3 1
1964 LAN P 29 28 9 18 2 1
1965 LAN P 43 41 10 36 0 2
1966 LAN P 41 41 7 30 1 2

Career Games by Position

Position Diamond

Circle size = games played at each position.

Sandy Koufax Stats, Bio & Career Records
Position Games
Pitcher 397

Awards & Honors

Sandy Koufax — Awards & Honors
Year Award Notes
1966 Cy Young Award
1966 Hutch Award
1966 Pitching Triple Crown
1966 TSN All-Star P
1966 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1965 Babe Ruth Award P
1965 Cy Young Award
1965 Pitching Triple Crown
1965 TSN All-Star P
1965 TSN Major League Player of the Year
1965 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1965 World Series MVP
1964 TSN All-Star P
1964 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1963 Babe Ruth Award P
1963 Cy Young Award
1963 Most Valuable Player
1963 Pitching Triple Crown
1963 TSN All-Star P
1963 TSN Major League Player of the Year
1963 TSN Pitcher of the Year
1963 World Series MVP

College History

Sandy Koufax — College History
School Name City State Years Attended
University of Cincinnati Cincinnati OH 1954

Award Voting History

Sandy Koufax — Award Voting History
Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1966 Cy Young Award ML 1st 20.0 20 20
1966 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 208.0 280 9
1965 Cy Young Award ML 1st 20.0 20 20
1965 Most Valuable Player NL 2nd 177.0 280 6
1964 Cy Young Award ML 3rd 1.0 20 1
1964 Most Valuable Player NL 17th 7.0 280 0
1963 Cy Young Award ML 1st 20.0 20 20
1963 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 237.0 280 14
1962 Most Valuable Player NL 24th 3.0 280 0
1961 Most Valuable Player NL 18th 5.0 224 0

Most Similar Players

Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.

Career Spans

Sandy Koufax (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.

  1. 98
    Johan Santana
    139-78, 3.20 ERA
  2. 96
    David Price
    157-82, 3.32 ERA
  3. 94
    Gerrit Cole
    163-89, 3.20 ERA
  4. 92
    Chris Sale
    159-97, 2.95 ERA
  5. 91
    Andy Messersmith
    130-99, 2.86 ERA
  6. 90
    Sid Fernandez
    114-96, 3.36 ERA

Compare Sandy Koufax

Side-by-side career stat comparisons against Koufax's closest peers by position and era.

vs Roger Clemens
vs Cy Young
vs Greg Maddux
vs Walter Johnson
vs Randy Johnson
vs Pedro Martinez

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See Sandy Koufax in Another Era

What would Koufax's 1966 season look like in a different era's run environment? Try the cross-era translation with a live slider.

Translate Sandy Koufax's peak season across eras →

Sandy Koufax: the record in brief

June 24, 1955 and October 2, 1966 bracket Sandy Koufax's time in the majors: the debut and the last game on record. Koufax played for the Brooklyn Dodgers (1955 through 1957) and the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958 to 1966). The bio lists Koufax as a pitcher who threw left-handed and batted right-handed. The recorded size is 6'2" and 210 pounds. The birth record reads December 30, 1935, in Brooklyn, NY, USA. On the record, Sandy Koufax was born Sanford Koufax.

Across 397 games (314 starts), Koufax recorded 165 wins against 87 losses with a 2.76 ERA. The same table counts 2,396 strikeouts, 137 complete games, and 40 shutouts. That 2.76 ERA compares with a 3.77 league average across the same seasons, 26.7% better. Koufax won 27 games in 1966, the most of any season listed. Koufax struck out 382 batters in 1965, a career high. Among the heaviest workloads, the lowest ERA was 1.73 in 1966, when the league's was 3.52.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sandy Koufax

What years did Sandy Koufax play?
Sandy Koufax played in Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1966.
Was Sandy Koufax a pitcher?
Yes. Sandy Koufax pitched in the major leagues, recording 165 wins and 2396 strikeouts.
How many home runs did Sandy Koufax hit?
Sandy Koufax hit 2 career home runs with 75 hits.
Is Sandy Koufax in the Hall of Fame?
Yes. Sandy Koufax was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.
What teams did Sandy Koufax play for?
Sandy Koufax played for one team, the Los Angeles Dodgers (1955–1966).
How many MVP awards did Sandy Koufax win?
Sandy Koufax won 1 MVP award, in 1963.
How many Cy Young Awards did Sandy Koufax win?
Sandy Koufax won 3 Cy Young Awards, in 1963, 1965, and 1966.
What awards did Sandy Koufax win?
Sandy Koufax won the MVP award (1963), 3 Cy Young Awards (1963, 1965, and 1966), 2 World Series MVP awards (1963 and 1965), and 3 pitching Triple Crowns (1963, 1965, and 1966). He was selected to 6 All-Star Games.
What were Sandy Koufax's career stats?
In 397 games, Sandy Koufax went 165-87 with a 2.76 ERA, 2,396 strikeouts, 2,324.1 innings pitched, and 9 saves. At the plate he had 75 hits and 2 home runs.
What position did Sandy Koufax play?
Sandy Koufax played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
How tall was Sandy Koufax and how much did he weigh?
Sandy Koufax was listed at 6 feet 2 inches and 210 pounds.
What was Sandy Koufax's career ERA?
Sandy Koufax finished with a 2.76 career ERA, going 165-87 with 2,396 strikeouts.
How many strikeouts did Sandy Koufax have?
Sandy Koufax recorded 2,396 career strikeouts.
How many All-Star Games did Sandy Koufax make?
Sandy Koufax was selected to 6 All-Star Games.