You could say that Don Drysdale was in the shadow of Sandy Koufax for most of his career, and there is nothing wrong with that.  Koufax was a special player in his second half, and no other practitioner of the mound in the 1960s first half-decade would not have been his second fiddle.  Shadow or no shadow, Drysdale was a special Pitcher on an exceptional team and worthy of this top-five rank.

Drysdale came up quickly through the system, debuting in 1956 and earning a spot on the Starting Rotation the following year.  Having won a World Series Ring as a rookie in '56, Drysdale already had a cache of experience and cemented himself as a starter for years to come.  The Dodgers moved to Los Angeles, with Drysdale going to his first All-Star Game in 1959, the team's second year in California, with him also assisting the Dodgers in a World Series Championship.

As Koufax ascended to the top of the Dodgers rotation, Drysdale's game improved.  He won the 1962 Cy Young Award and Major League Player of the Year, leasing the NL in Wins (25), Innings Pitched (314.1), and Strikeouts (232), and had five consecutive All-Star appearances from 1961 to 1965.  Drysdale helped lead Los Angeles to another World Series win.  

Drysdale would later win another World Series in 1965, and in 1968, he set a record with 58.2 scoreless Innings and six consecutive Shutouts and remained a Dodgers star into the late 60s.  He retired with a record of 209 and 166 with a 2.95 ERA and 2,486 Strikeouts.

Drysdale was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984, with the Dodgers retiring his number 54 the same year.