Candy Cummings vs Pud Galvin: Career Stats Comparison
Pud Galvin has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Candy Cummings played 1872–1877 as a pitcher; Pud Galvin played 1875–1892 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
Candy Cummings (1872–1877) and Pud Galvin (1875–1892) — both came up during the 1870s, so the matchup is a direct one. Candy Cummings finished with 145 wins and 259 strikeouts; Pud Galvin finished with 365 wins and 1,807 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Candy Cummings, with 2.42 to Pud Galvin's 2.85.
- Who won more games? Pud Galvin, with 365 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Pud Galvin, with 1,807 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP? Pud Galvin, with 1.19 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Pud Galvin, with 6,003.1 to Candy Cummings's 2,149.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Pud Galvin, with 57 to Candy Cummings's 19.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Pud Galvin, with 27,907 career Pitcher PIV to Candy Cummings's 8,753.
Candy Cummings
Pud Galvin
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 | Candy Cummings | Pud Galvin |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 145 | Leads: 365 |
| Losses not scored | 94 | 310 |
| Games | 242 | Leads: 705 |
| Games Started | 241 | Leads: 688 |
| Complete Games | 233 | Leads: 646 |
| Shutouts | 19 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | 259 | Leads: 1,807 |
| Walks not scored | 113 | 745 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,526 | 6,405 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 12 | 121 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,149.2 | Leads: 6,003.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.42 | 2.85 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.19 |
| K/9 | 1.08 | Leads: 2.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 0.47 | 1.12 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pud Galvin outpaces Candy Cummings 27,907 to 8,753 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,642 PIV per season to 1,459, across 17 seasons to 6. 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).
Candy Cummings — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Pud Galvin — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pud Galvin leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Candy Cummings owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pud Galvin. PIV agrees: Pud Galvin grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Candy Cummings and Pud Galvin careers compare
The careers of Candy Cummings (1872–1877) and Pud Galvin (1875–1892) overlapped from 1875 to 1877, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Candy Cummings appeared in 242 games to Pud Galvin's 705. Candy Cummings's edges on the table are ERA (2.42 to 2.85) and walks per nine (0.47 to 1.12). The per-nine rows read 1.08 strikeouts and 0.47 walks for Candy Cummings, 2.71 and 1.12 for Pud Galvin. Candy Cummings was mainly a starter (241 starts in 242 games), and Pud Galvin was mainly a starter (688 starts in 705 games).
Candy Cummings vs Pud Galvin: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Candy Cummings or Pud Galvin?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pud Galvin leads Candy Cummings in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Candy Cummings, with 2.42 to Pud Galvin's 2.85.
- Who won more games?
- Pud Galvin, with 365 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Pud Galvin, with 1,807 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Pud Galvin, with 1.19 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.