John Clarkson vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
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.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | John Clarkson | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 328 | 511 |
| Losses | 178 | 315 |
| Games | 531 | 906 |
| Games Started | 518 | 815 |
| Complete Games | 485 | 749 |
| Shutouts | 37 | 76 |
| Saves | 5 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 1,978 | 2,803 |
| Walks | 1,191 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,295 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 159 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,536 | 7,356 |
| ERA | 2.81 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.21 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 3.92 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.36 | 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.