John Clarkson vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). John Clarkson played 1882–1894 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
John Clarkson (1882–1894) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — they debuted in the 1880s and the 1890s respectively and share 5 seasons. John Clarkson finished with 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Cy Young finished with 511 wins and 2,803 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Cy Young, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Cy Young, with 2.63 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to John Clarkson's 328.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to John Clarkson's 1,978.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to John Clarkson's 1.21.
- How many innings did each pitch? John Clarkson 4,536.1, Cy Young 7,356.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to John Clarkson's 37.
John Clarkson
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | John Clarkson | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 328 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 178 | 315 |
| Games not scored | 531 | 906 |
| Games Started not scored | 518 | 815 |
| Complete Games | 485 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves not scored | 5 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 1,978 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,191 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,295 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 159 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,536.1 | 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.81 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 3.92 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces John Clarkson 141,398 to 36,438 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,427 PIV per season to 3,036, across 22 seasons to 12. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
John Clarkson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Cy Young leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. John Clarkson leads 1: strikeouts per nine. 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 John Clarkson and Cy Young careers compare
John Clarkson and Cy Young were active at the same time between 1890 and 1894. The table compares 531 games of John Clarkson with 906 of Cy Young across 12 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where John Clarkson comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (3.92 to 3.43). The per-nine rows read 3.92 strikeouts and 2.36 walks for John Clarkson, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Both had the same role: John Clarkson was mainly a starter (518 starts in 531 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Cy Young allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.13 WHIP to John Clarkson's 1.21.
John Clarkson vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, John Clarkson or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads John Clarkson in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to John Clarkson's 2.81.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to John Clarkson's 328.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to John Clarkson's 1,978.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to John Clarkson's 1.21.