Candy Cummings vs Kid Nichols: Career Stats Comparison
Kid Nichols 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; Kid Nichols played 1890–1906 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 Kid Nichols (1890–1906) — 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; Kid Nichols finished with 362 wins and 1,881 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 Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games? Kid Nichols, with 362 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Kid Nichols, with 1,881 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kid Nichols, with 1.22 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Kid Nichols, with 5,067.1 to Candy Cummings's 2,149.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Kid Nichols, with 48 to Candy Cummings's 19.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kid Nichols, with 64,461 career Pitcher PIV to Candy Cummings's 8,753.
Candy Cummings
Kid Nichols
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 | Kid Nichols |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 145 | Leads: 362 |
| Losses not scored | 94 | 208 |
| Games | 242 | Leads: 621 |
| Games Started | 241 | Leads: 562 |
| Complete Games | 233 | Leads: 532 |
| Shutouts | 19 | Leads: 48 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | 259 | Leads: 1,881 |
| Walks not scored | 113 | 1,272 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,526 | 4,929 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 12 | 156 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,149.2 | Leads: 5,067.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.42 | 2.96 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.22 |
| K/9 | 1.08 | Leads: 3.34 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 0.47 | 2.26 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kid Nichols outpaces Candy Cummings 64,461 to 8,753 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,029 PIV per season to 1,459, across 16 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)
Kid Nichols — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Kid Nichols 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 Kid Nichols. PIV agrees: Kid Nichols 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 Kid Nichols careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Candy Cummings's ended in 1877, and Kid Nichols debuted in 1890. Kid Nichols has the far longer record, 621 games against 242 across 6 and 16 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Candy Cummings comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.42 to 2.96) and walks per nine (0.47 to 2.26). By rate, Candy Cummings struck out 1.08 and walked 0.47 per nine innings; Kid Nichols struck out 3.34 and walked 2.26. Candy Cummings was mainly a starter (241 starts in 242 games), and Kid Nichols was mainly a starter (562 starts in 621 games). Kid Nichols allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.22 WHIP to Candy Cummings's 1.23.
Candy Cummings vs Kid Nichols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Candy Cummings or Kid Nichols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kid Nichols leads Candy Cummings in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Candy Cummings, with 2.42 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games?
- Kid Nichols, with 362 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Kid Nichols, with 1,881 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kid Nichols, with 1.22 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.