Jack Chesbro vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jack Chesbro played 1899–1909 as a pitcher; Cy Young played 1890–1911 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Jack Chesbro (1899–1909) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — both came up during the 1890s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jack Chesbro finished with 198 wins and 1,265 strikeouts; Cy Young finished with 511 wins and 2,803 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Cy Young, with 2.63 to Jack Chesbro's 2.68.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Jack Chesbro's 198.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Jack Chesbro's 1,265.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to Jack Chesbro's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Jack Chesbro's 2,896.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Jack Chesbro's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Jack Chesbro's 22,639.
Jack Chesbro
Cy Young
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jack Chesbro | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 198 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 132 | 315 |
| Games | 392 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 332 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 260 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 1,265 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 690 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,647 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 39 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,896.2 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.68 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 3.93 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.14 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Jack Chesbro 141,398 to 22,639 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 1,887, across 23 seasons to 12. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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 by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Jack Chesbro — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cy Young leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jack Chesbro owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cy Young. PIV agrees: Cy Young grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jack Chesbro and Cy Young careers compare
Jack Chesbro and Cy Young were active at the same time between 1899 and 1909. The table compares 392 games of Jack Chesbro with 906 of Cy Young across 12 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Jack Chesbro's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (3.93 to 3.43). By rate, Jack Chesbro struck out 3.93 and walked 2.14 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Both had the same role: Jack Chesbro was mainly a starter (332 starts in 392 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Cy Young allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.13 WHIP to Jack Chesbro's 1.15.
Jack Chesbro vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jack Chesbro or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Jack Chesbro in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Jack Chesbro's 2.68.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Jack Chesbro's 198.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Jack Chesbro's 1,265.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to Jack Chesbro's 1.15.