Best Dodgers Right-Handed Pitchers of All Time
When baseball fans think of historic pitching for the Dodgers, left-handers like Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw often dominate the conversation. Yet looking beyond the southpaws to find the best Dodgers right handed pitchers uncovers an equally staggering legacy. The franchise's right-handed icons hold the club record for all-time wins, authored the longest scoreless inning streak in Major League history, and anchored multiple World Series championship rotations across Brooklyn and Los Angeles.
From intimidating flame-throwers who owned the inside edge of the plate to surgical craftsmen who answered the call every four days for decades, these arms built the identity of Dodger pitching.
Don Drysdale: Intimidation, Peak Dominance, and Ruthless Precision
Standing 6-foot-5 and slinging sidearm fastballs with fierce intent, Don Drysdale was the ultimate counterpart to Koufax in the 1960s. Drysdale didn't just pitch; he controlled the psychology of the batter's box. Batters knew that crowding the plate against 'Big D' was an invitation to hit the dirt.
Drysdale spent his entire 14-year career in Dodger blue, compiling 209 wins, 2,486 strikeouts, and a lifetime 2.95 ERA. His peak came during the 1962 campaign, where he captured the Cy Young Award after leading the majors with 25 wins and 232 strikeouts across an astonishing 314.1 innings. In 1968, Drysdale authored one of baseball's immortal feats: 58.2 consecutive scoreless innings, a record that stood untouched for two decades. When historians debate the best Dodgers right handed pitchers, Drysdale brings the unmatched combination of hardware, fear factor, and three World Series rings.
Don Sutton: The Undisputed Workhorse of Chavez Ravine
If Drysdale represents pure fire, Don Sutton represents the pinnacle of reliability and longevity. No pitcher in franchise history has won more games than Sutton, who claimed 233 of his 324 career victories in a Dodger uniform.
Debuting in 1966, Sutton served as a rotation bedrock for 16 seasons in Los Angeles before brief stops elsewhere and an eventual return to finish his career at Dodger Stadium in 1988. He was never an overpowering strikeout artist like Koufax or Drysdale, but his mastery of pitch sequencing, sweeping curveball, and legendary durability made him nearly indestructible. Sutton notched twelve separate 15-win seasons in Los Angeles, topped 200 innings in 14 different Dodger campaigns, and remains the franchise's all-time leader in games started (533), innings pitched (3,814), and strikeouts (2,696). Any serious ranking of the best Dodgers right handed pitchers must place Sutton near the very top based on sheer volume and Cooperstown credentials.
Orel Hershiser: 'The Bulldog' and the Magic of 1988
Orel Hershiser earned his nickname 'Bulldog' from manager Tommy Lasorda, who wanted his mild-mannered, bespectacled pitcher to embrace an aggressive, relentless edge on the mound. Hershiser took that identity and turned it into legendary status.
Hershiser's 1988 season remains one of the greatest individual years ever put together by an arm in Major League history. That September, he broke Drysdale's scoreless record by completing 59 consecutive innings without surrendering a run. He swept the National League Cy Young Award, then put the entire roster on his back in October. Hershiser captured both NLCS MVP and World Series MVP honors, shutting down the high-powered Oakland Athletics to deliver Los Angeles a title.
Over twelve seasons with the Dodgers, Hershiser registered 135 wins, 1,456 strikeouts, and a 3.12 ERA. Hershiser solidified his status among the best Dodgers right handed pitchers not just through regular season consistency, but through ice-cold execution on baseball's biggest stages.
Dazzy Vance: Brooklyn's Original Strikeout Maestro
Long before Chavez Ravine existed, the Dodgers lived at Ebbets Field, and Dazzy Vance was their undisputed king of the mound during the Roaring Twenties. Remarkably, Vance didn't become a full-time Major League regular until age 31 due to arm troubles, but once healthy, he unleashed a fastball that paralyzed National League hitters.
Vance led the National League in strikeouts for seven consecutive seasons from 1922 to 1928, an era dominated by contact hitting and low strikeout totals. In 1924, he secured the National League MVP Award after capturing the Pitching Triple Crown, posting 28 wins, a 2.16 ERA, and 262 strikeouts. Though his prime came in Brooklyn over a century ago, Vance remains a Cooperstown legend and stands comfortably alongside modern names when identifying the best Dodgers right handed pitchers.
Modern Aces and Elite Relievers Deserving Recognition
While Sutton, Drysdale, Hershiser, and Vance form the traditional Mount Rushmore of righties, several other arms left indelible marks on Dodger history.
- Zack Greinke: Greinke spent just three seasons in Los Angeles, but his 2015 season (19-3, 1.66 ERA, 0.84 WHIP) stands as the lowest single-season ERA by an MLB qualified starter since 1995.
- Walker Buehler: Before elbow injuries disrupted his momentum, Buehler built a reputation as a big-game starter, playing an essential role in the 2020 World Series run and closing out the 2024 championship.
- Kenley Jansen: While starters typically dominate historical lists, Jansen converted 350 saves for the Dodgers, compiling a 2.37 ERA and striking out 1,022 batters across twelve dominant seasons out of the bullpen.
Examining the best Dodgers right handed pitchers shows that while southpaws may hold the team's poetic spotlight, right-handed excellence has provided the foundation for every winning era in franchise lore.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the all-time wins leader among Dodgers right-handed pitchers?
Don Sutton holds the franchise record with 233 wins as a Dodger. He finished his Hall of Fame career with 324 total wins across 23 major league seasons.
Did Don Drysdale or Orel Hershiser have the longer scoreless innings streak?
Orel Hershiser holds the Major League record with 59 consecutive scoreless innings, established in September 1988. He surpassed Don Drysdale, who previously set the mark at 58.2 scoreless innings in May and June of 1968.
Has a Dodgers right-handed pitcher ever won the MVP award?
Yes. Dazzy Vance won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1924 after capturing the pitching Triple Crown for the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers), posting 28 wins, a 2.16 ERA, and 262 strikeouts.
Why are Dodgers left-handers usually more famous than their right-handers?
Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw both delivered historic multi-Cy Young peaks that cemented them among the greatest pitchers in baseball history. However, Dodgers right-handers hold club records in career wins, career strikeouts, innings pitched, and scoreless streaks.