John Clarkson vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. 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) — breaking in during the 1880s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. John Clarkson compiled 328 wins and 1,978 strikeouts; Cy Young put up 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 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.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356 to John Clarkson's 4,536.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to John Clarkson's 37.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to John Clarkson's 36,438.
John Clarkson
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | John Clarkson | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 328 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses | 178 | 315 |
| Games | 531 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 518 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 485 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 1,978 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks | 1,191 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,295 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 159 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,536 | Leads: 7,356 |
| 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 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (6,148 vs 2,803 per year). 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
On the head-to-head card, Cy Young leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while John Clarkson 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
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 11 of 12 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.