Candy Cummings vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Rube Waddell has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Rube Waddell played 1897–1910 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 Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — 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; Rube Waddell finished with 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Candy Cummings's 2.42.
- Who won more games? Rube Waddell, with 193 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Rube Waddell, with 2,961.1 to Candy Cummings's 2,149.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Rube Waddell, with 50 to Candy Cummings's 19.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Rube Waddell, with 69,450 career Pitcher PIV to Candy Cummings's 8,753.
Candy Cummings
Rube Waddell
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 | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 145 | Leads: 193 |
| Losses not scored | 94 | 143 |
| Games | 242 | Leads: 407 |
| Games Started | 241 | Leads: 340 |
| Complete Games | 233 | Leads: 261 |
| Shutouts | 19 | Leads: 50 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | 259 | Leads: 2,316 |
| Walks not scored | 113 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,526 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 12 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,149.2 | Leads: 2,961.1 |
| ERA | 2.42 | Leads: 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.10 |
| K/9 | 1.08 | Leads: 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 0.47 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rube Waddell outpaces Candy Cummings 69,450 to 8,753 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,961 PIV per season to 1,459, across 14 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)
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rube Waddell leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Candy Cummings owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rube Waddell. PIV agrees: Rube Waddell 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 Rube Waddell careers compare
No season is shared: Candy Cummings played 1872–1877, Rube Waddell 1897–1910. The table compares 242 games of Candy Cummings with 407 of Rube Waddell across 6 and 14 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Candy Cummings are walks per nine (0.47 to 2.44). By rate, Candy Cummings struck out 1.08 and walked 0.47 per nine innings; Rube Waddell struck out 7.04 and walked 2.44. Candy Cummings was mainly a starter (241 starts in 242 games), and Rube Waddell was mainly a starter (340 starts in 407 games). Rube Waddell allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.10 WHIP to Candy Cummings's 1.23.
Candy Cummings vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Candy Cummings or Rube Waddell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rube Waddell leads Candy Cummings in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Candy Cummings's 2.42.
- Who won more games?
- Rube Waddell, with 193 to Candy Cummings's 145.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Rube Waddell, with 2,316 to Candy Cummings's 259.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Candy Cummings's 1.23.