Top 10 Dodgers Pitchers of All Time Ranked
When you look at franchise history from Brooklyn to Chavez Ravine, no team in Major League Baseball matches the Dodgers' mound pedigree. Pitching has not just won this team championships; it has defined its cultural identity across generations.
Selecting the best dodgers pitchers of all time isn't merely about tallying up career wins or strikeout totals. It comes down to a balance of peak dominance, longevity, postseason grit, and historical impact. Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw sit unchallenged at the pinnacle, but the battle for the remaining spots among Dodger royalty is fierce. Here is the definitive ranking of the top 10 pitchers to ever wear Dodger Blue.
How We Evaluated the Greatest Dodger Arms
Debating the best dodgers pitchers of all time requires balancing two radically different eras: the complete-game workhorse days of Brooklyn and mid-century Los Angeles against the specialized, high-velocity modern game.
To build this ranking, we weighed several core factors:
- Peak Value: How dominant was the pitcher during his prime? Did he redefine pitching in his era?
- Longevity & Bulk: Pitchers who ate innings and compiled career wins for the Dodgers over a decade or more earn major credit.
- Postseason Performance: October defines Dodger legends. Championship performances carry real weight.
- Era-Adjusted Metrics: Stats like ERA+ and bWAR help level the playing field between the Deadball era, the pitching-friendly 1960s, and today's run environments.
The Elite Tier: Ranks 1 to 3
1. Sandy Koufax (1955–1966)
- Key Accolades: 3x Cy Young Award winner, 1963 NL MVP, 3x Triple Crown, 4x No-Hitters (1 Perfect Game), 2x World Series MVP
There is no conversation about the greatest Dodger pitcher without Sandy Koufax. Between 1962 and 1966, the "Left Arm of God" put together what remains the most untouchable five-year stretch in pitching history. Over that span, Koufax went 111-34 with a 1.95 ERA, striking out 1,444 batters across 1,377 innings. His October performances were the stuff of mythology: a 0.95 World Series ERA with two Game 7 shutouts on zero days of rest. His career was tragically cut short by chronic arthritis at age 30, but his peak remains unmatched.
2. Clayton Kershaw (2008–Present)
- Key Accolades: 3x Cy Young Award winner, 2014 NL MVP, 5x ERA Title, 2020 World Series Champion, 10x All-Star
Clayton Kershaw is the modern standard for pitching excellence. For over a decade, Kershaw dismantled National League lineups with a pinpoint fastball, devastating slider, and signature "Cooperstown curve." From 2011 to 2017, he posted a microscopic 2.10 ERA across more than 1,400 innings. Kershaw ranks as the Dodgers' all-time strikeout leader and boasts the highest career ERA+ (156) of any starting pitcher in MLB history with at least 2,000 innings pitched. He solidified his legacy by helping lead Los Angeles to the 2020 championship.
3. Don Sutton (1966–1980, 1988)
- Key Accolades: Hall of Fame (1998), 4x All-Star, Dodgers all-time wins leader (233), 3,814.2 IP with the franchise
If Koufax and Kershaw represent peak brilliance, Don Sutton stands as the ultimate monument to durability. Sutton is the franchise leader in wins (233), innings pitched (3,814.2), and starts (533). He never experienced a disabled list stint in his first 15 seasons in Los Angeles, consistently delivering 200-plus innings of sub-3.50 ERA baseball every summer. Without Sutton anchoring the staff through the 1970s, the Dodgers' transition from the Koufax-Drysdale era would have looked vastly different.
Postseason Legends and Fierce Competitors: Ranks 4 to 6
4. Don Drysdale (1956–1969)
- Key Accolades: 1962 Cy Young Award winner, 9x All-Star, 3x World Series Champion, 209 Wins
Standing 6-foot-5 with a sidearm delivery that terrified right-handed hitters, Don Drysdale was Koufax's lethal counterpart in the 1960s. "Big D" threw inside with unapologetic fury, logging 3,432 innings and 2,486 strikeouts in Dodger Blue. In 1968, he set a then-MLB record with 58.2 consecutive scoreless innings, a feat that included six straight shutouts. Drysdale was the heart and soul of the Dodgers' 1959, 1963, and 1965 championship rotations.
5. Orel Hershiser (1983–1994, 2000)
- Key Accolades: 1988 NL Cy Young Award winner, 1988 World Series MVP, 1988 NLCS MVP, 3x All-Star
"The Bulldog" earned his place among the best dodgers pitchers of all time with the single greatest individual season a pitcher has ever produced. In 1988, Hershiser broke Drysdale’s record by pitching 59 consecutive scoreless innings to finish the regular season. He then carried an underdog Dodgers team through October, winning both NLCS MVP and World Series MVP honors. Armed with a darting sinker, Hershiser finished his Dodger career with 135 wins and a stellar 1.71 postseason ERA.
6. Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1990)
- Key Accolades: 1981 NL Cy Young and Rookie of the Year, 6x All-Star, 1981 World Series Champion, Gold Glove
In 1981, a 20-year-old screwballer from Etchohuaquila, Mexico, ignited "Fernandomania" and changed Dodger baseball forever. Valenzuela remains the only player in MLB history to win the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young awards in the same season. Beyond the cultural explosion he triggered across Los Angeles, Fernando was an absolute workhorse, tossing 107 complete games and over 2,300 innings for the Dodgers while leading them to the 1981 title.
Trailblazers and Brooklyn Foundations: Ranks 7 to 10
7. Dazzy Vance (1922–1932, 1935)
- Key Accolades: Hall of Fame (1955), 1924 NL MVP, 7x Strikeout Champion, 190 Wins
Dazzy Vance was a late bloomer who did not establish himself in the majors until age 31, but he quickly became the premier strikeout pitcher of the Roaring Twenties. Vance led the National League in strikeouts for seven consecutive seasons from 1922 to 1928, an era when pitchers focused purely on contact. He racked up 60.1 bWAR in a Brooklyn uniform, making him mathematically one of the most effective pitchers in team history.
8. Don Newcombe (1949–1951, 1954–1958)
- Key Accolades: 1949 Rookie of the Year, 1956 NL MVP and Cy Young, 4x All-Star, 1955 World Series Champion
Don Newcombe was a trailblazer who became the first pitcher to win Rookie of the Year, the Cy Young, and an MVP award in his career. In 1956, "Newk" went 27-7 with a 3.06 ERA, carrying Brooklyn to the pennant. He lost two prime athletic seasons to military service during the Korean War, yet he still managed 123 wins for the Dodgers with an exceptional combination of power pitching and pinpoint command.
9. Carl Erskine (1948–1959)
- Key Accolades: 1953 All-Star, 2x No-Hitter thrower, 1955 World Series Champion, 122 Wins
Carl "Osk" Erskine was the quiet backbone of the "Boys of Summer" Brooklyn teams. Erskine was the man manager Walter Alston called upon in critical postseason moments. He tossed two no-hitters (1952 and 1956) and set a then-World Series record by striking out 14 New York Yankees in Game 3 of the 1953 Fall Classic. He was an indispensable part of Brooklyn's lone title in 1955.
10. Burleigh Grimes (1918–1926)
- Key Accolades: Hall of Fame (1964), 158 Dodger Wins, 151 Complete Games
The last legal spitballer in Major League history, Burleigh Grimes was notorious for his fiery temper and suffocating competitiveness. During his nine seasons in Brooklyn, Grimes averaged over 260 innings a year and won 20 or more games four times. His longevity and durability during the transition into the live-ball era cement his spot inside the top 10.
Honorable Mentions and The Next Generation
Trimming a century of pitching brilliance down to ten names leaves several legendary figures just outside the frame. Johnny Podres etched his name into team lore by throwing a Game 7 shutout in the 1955 World Series, delivering Brooklyn its only title. Eric Gagné put together the most electric run ever seen by a Dodgers closer, converting 84 consecutive saves and capturing the 2003 NL Cy Young Award.
Other starters like Burt Hooton, Tommy John, and Zack Greinke—who authored an absurd 1.66 ERA in 2015—deserve recognition. Looking forward, arms like Walker Buehler and Yoshinobu Yamamoto carry the torch, striving to join the best dodgers pitchers of all time as the franchise continues its tradition of pitching excellence.
Frequently asked questions
Who ranks as the single best Dodgers pitcher of all time?
Sandy Koufax is almost universally viewed as the greatest Dodgers pitcher due to his unmatched peak between 1962 and 1966, which included three Cy Young Awards, an MVP, and legendary postseason dominance. However, Clayton Kershaw holds a strong case based on career longevity and total statistical value.
Who is the Dodgers' all-time leader in pitching wins?
Don Sutton holds the Dodgers franchise record for career wins with 233, achieved over his 16 seasons in Los Angeles. Clayton Kershaw ranks second.
Did Fernando Valenzuela really win Rookie of the Year and Cy Young in the same year?
Yes. In the strike-shortened 1981 season, Fernando Valenzuela achieved what no other player in Major League history has done by winning both the National League Rookie of the Year and the NL Cy Young Award in the same campaign.
Why is Clayton Kershaw ranked over Don Sutton despite having fewer wins?
While Sutton holds the volume and durability records, Kershaw’s peak dominance, league-leading ERA titles, and era-adjusted metrics (such as a career 156 ERA+) place him on a higher performance tier than Sutton on an inning-by-inning basis.