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No. 95: Greatest seasons in Dodgers history: Don Drysdale, 1957

Big D

By Blake Harris
Baseball Hall of Fame

Don Drysdale, 1957

Stats: 17-9, 2.69 ERA, 221 IP, 148 SO, 153 ERA+, 3.04 FIP, 1.17 WHIP, 9 CG’s, 4 SHO

Awards: MVP (19th)

Baseball Reference WAR: 6.0

FanGraphs WAR: 5.1

Combined WAR: 5.55

Don Drysdale, arguably one of the greatest pitchers in Dodgers history, had quite the career for the Dodgers. To no surprise, we’ll be seeing a lot of his seasons crack this top 100 list. The one we’ll be starting with in this countdown is his 1957 campaign, his second season in the bigs and the final year the team was in Brooklyn.

It was a very impressive second season for Drysdale, who was near the top of every pitching category in the National League. Though he was really good all season, he was much better in the second half.

Over his final 16 starts, he won 12 games, throwing six complete games and posting an ERA of 2.39.

On September 3 against the Phillies, Drysdale threw a 12-inning complete game. He struck out nine which tied a season-high, faced 46 batters and only allowed three runs. The Dodgers only gave him two runs of support in 12 innings, c’mon guys!

Though Drysdale became a much better hitter later in his career, he still contributed a little at the plate, hitting two home runs and driving in six on the season.

Here’s how he ranked in the National League:

  • 2.69 ERA (2nd)
  • 17 wins (4th)
  • 1.17 WHIP (3rd)
  • 148 strikeouts (5th)
  • 4 shutouts (2nd)

Here’s where his season ranks in Dodgers history among pitchers who made at least 29 starts:

  • 2.69 ERA (49th)
  • 3.04 FIP (66th)
  • 153 ERA+ (19th)

Get caught up on the rest of the “All-Time Dodgers” lists!

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