Jesse Burkett vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Jesse Burkett and Cy Young played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Jesse Burkett played 1890–1905 as a hitter; Cy Young played 1890–1911 as a pitcher.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Jesse Burkett (1890–1905) and Cy Young (1890–1911) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Cy Young pitched, totalling 511 wins and 2,803 strikeouts; Jesse Burkett hit, totalling 2,850 hits and 75 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career PIV to Jesse Burkett's 42,233.
- Who won more championships? Cy Young, with 1 World Series title to Jesse Burkett's 0.
Jesse Burkett
Cy Young
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Cy Young is shown on pitching lines and Jesse Burkett on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Jesse Burkett — Hitter
| Statistic | Jesse Burkett |
|---|---|
| Games | 2,067 |
| At-Bats | 8,426 |
| Runs | 1,720 |
| Hits | 2,850 |
| Doubles | 320 |
| Triples | 182 |
| Home Runs | 75 |
| RBI | 952 |
| Walks | 1,029 |
| Strikeouts | 613 |
| Stolen Bases | 389 |
| Batting Avg | .338 |
| On-Base % | .415 |
| Slugging % | .446 |
| OPS | .861 |
Cy Young — Pitcher
| Statistic | Cy Young |
|---|---|
| Wins | 511 |
| Losses | 315 |
| Games | 906 |
| Games Started | 815 |
| Complete Games | 749 |
| Shutouts | 76 |
| Saves | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,803 |
| Walks | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Jesse Burkett carries a career batting PIV of 42,233; Cy Young carries a career pitching PIV of 141,398. Cy Young is the higher of the two at 141,398 to 42,233. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Jesse Burkett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Cy Young and Jesse Burkett: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Cy Young grades higher, 141,398 to 42,233. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jesse Burkett and Cy Young careers compare
Jesse Burkett and Cy Young were active at the same time between 1890 and 1905. Jesse Burkett's batting card reads 2,850 hits, 75 home runs and a .338 average. Cy Young's pitching card shows 511 wins, a 2.63 ERA and 2,803 strikeouts. No single table can grade a pitcher against a hitter, so each career is shown in its own discipline, with PIV as the common scale. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.002 OPS in 1896 for Jesse Burkett and 1.26 ERA in 1908 for Cy Young.
Jesse Burkett vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Cy Young, with 141,398 career PIV to Jesse Burkett's 42,233.
- Who won more championships?
- Cy Young, with 1 World Series title to Jesse Burkett's 0.
- How do Jesse Burkett and Cy Young compare?
- Jesse Burkett played 1890–1905 and Cy Young played 1890–1911; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.