Candy Cummings vs Joe McGinnity: Career Stats Comparison
Joe McGinnity 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; Joe McGinnity played 1899–1908 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 Joe McGinnity (1899–1908) — breaking in during the 1870s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Candy Cummings finished with 145 wins and 259 strikeouts; Joe McGinnity finished with 246 wins and 1,068 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 Joe McGinnity's 2.66.
- Who won more games? Joe McGinnity, with 246 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Joe McGinnity, with 1,068 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP? Joe McGinnity, with 1.19 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Joe McGinnity, with 3,441.1 to Candy Cummings's 2,149.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Joe McGinnity, with 32 to Candy Cummings's 19.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Candy Cummings, with 8,753 career Pitcher PIV to Joe McGinnity's 3,283.
Candy Cummings
Joe McGinnity
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, and the 1870s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Candy Cummings | Joe McGinnity |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 145 | Leads: 246 |
| Losses not scored | 94 | 142 |
| Games | 242 | Leads: 465 |
| Games Started | 241 | Leads: 381 |
| Complete Games | 233 | Leads: 314 |
| Shutouts | 19 | Leads: 32 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 24 |
| Strikeouts | 259 | Leads: 1,068 |
| Walks not scored | 113 | 812 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,526 | 3,276 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 12 | 52 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,149.2 | Leads: 3,441.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.42 | 2.66 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.19 |
| K/9 | 1.08 | Leads: 2.79 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 0.47 | 2.12 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Candy Cummings outpaces Joe McGinnity 8,753 to 3,283 — driven by per-season impact — 1,459 PIV per season to 298 — rather than by longevity, since Candy Cummings played 6 seasons to Joe McGinnity's 11. 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)
Joe McGinnity — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Joe McGinnity 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 Joe McGinnity. Note that PIV actually grades Candy Cummings ahead, which means Joe McGinnity's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Candy Cummings and Joe McGinnity careers compare
Candy Cummings (1872–1877) was finished before Joe McGinnity (1899–1908) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Candy Cummings appeared in 242 games to Joe McGinnity's 465. The green cells for Candy Cummings are ERA (2.42 to 2.66) and walks per nine (0.47 to 2.12). The per-nine rows read 1.08 strikeouts and 0.47 walks for Candy Cummings, 2.79 and 2.12 for Joe McGinnity. Candy Cummings was mainly a starter (241 starts in 242 games), and Joe McGinnity was mainly a starter (381 starts in 465 games). Joe McGinnity allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.19 WHIP to Candy Cummings's 1.23.
Candy Cummings vs Joe McGinnity: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Candy Cummings or Joe McGinnity?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Joe McGinnity leads Candy Cummings in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Candy Cummings, with 2.42 to Joe McGinnity's 2.66.
- Who won more games?
- Joe McGinnity, with 246 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Joe McGinnity, with 1,068 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Joe McGinnity, with 1.19 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.