Whitey Ford vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young 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). Whitey Ford played 1950–1967 as a pitcher; Cy Young played 1890–1911 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
Whitey Ford (1950–1967) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Whitey Ford finished with 236 wins and 1,956 strikeouts; Cy Young finished with 511 wins and 2,803 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Cy Young, with 2.63 to Whitey Ford's 2.75.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Whitey Ford's 236.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Whitey Ford's 1,956.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to Whitey Ford's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Whitey Ford's 3,170.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Whitey Ford's 45.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Whitey Ford's 47,870.
Whitey Ford
Cy Young
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 1950s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Whitey Ford | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 236 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 106 | 315 |
| Games | 498 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 438 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 156 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 45 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 10 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 1,956 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,086 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,766 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 228 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,170.1 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.75 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.22 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.55 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 3.08 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Whitey Ford 141,398 to 47,870 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 2,992, across 23 seasons to 16. 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).
Whitey Ford — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cy Young leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Whitey Ford owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cy Young. PIV agrees: Cy Young grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Whitey Ford and Cy Young careers compare
Cy Young (1890–1911) was finished before Whitey Ford (1950–1967) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 498 games of Whitey Ford with 906 of Cy Young across 16 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Whitey Ford's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (5.55 to 3.43). By rate, Whitey Ford struck out 5.55 and walked 3.08 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Whitey Ford was mainly a starter (438 starts in 498 games), and Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Complete games (156 to 749) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Whitey Ford vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Whitey Ford or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Whitey Ford in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Whitey Ford's 2.75.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Whitey Ford's 236.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Whitey Ford's 1,956.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to Whitey Ford's 1.22.