Candy Cummings vs Joe McGinnity: Career Stats Comparison
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 compiled 145 wins and 259 strikeouts; Joe McGinnity put up 246 wins and 1,068 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Candy Cummings | Joe McGinnity |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 145 | 246 |
| Losses | 94 | 142 |
| Games | 242 | 465 |
| Games Started | 241 | 381 |
| Complete Games | 233 | 314 |
| Shutouts | 19 | 32 |
| Saves | 0 | 24 |
| Strikeouts | 259 | 1,068 |
| Walks | 113 | 812 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,526 | 3,276 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 12 | 52 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,149 | 3,441 |
| ERA | 2.42 | 2.66 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | 1.08 | 2.79 |
| BB/9 | 0.47 | 2.12 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Candy Cummings outpaces Joe McGinnity 8,753 to 3,283 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,459 vs 298 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).
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.