Burleigh Grimes 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). Burleigh Grimes played 1916–1934 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
Burleigh Grimes (1916–1934) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Burleigh Grimes finished with 270 wins and 1,512 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 Burleigh Grimes's 3.53.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Burleigh Grimes's 270.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Burleigh Grimes's 1,512.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Burleigh Grimes's 4,180.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Burleigh Grimes's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Burleigh Grimes's 18,821.
Burleigh Grimes
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 1910s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Burleigh Grimes | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 270 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 212 | 315 |
| Games | 616 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 497 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 314 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 18 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 1,512 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,295 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,412 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 148 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,180.0 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 3.53 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.37 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 3.26 | Leads: 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.79 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Burleigh Grimes 141,398 to 18,821 — driven by per-season impact — 6,148 PIV per season to 818 — rather than by longevity, since Cy Young played 23 seasons to Burleigh Grimes's 23. 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).
Burleigh Grimes — 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 Burleigh Grimes owns no headline categories. 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 Burleigh Grimes and Cy Young careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Cy Young's ended in 1911, and Burleigh Grimes debuted in 1916. With 616 games against 906 across 23 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Cy Young. By rate, Burleigh Grimes struck out 3.26 and walked 2.79 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Both had the same role: Burleigh Grimes was mainly a starter (497 starts in 616 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). In WHIP, Cy Young's 1.13 beats Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.
Burleigh Grimes vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Burleigh Grimes or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Burleigh Grimes in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Burleigh Grimes's 3.53.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Burleigh Grimes's 270.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Burleigh Grimes's 1,512.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to Burleigh Grimes's 1.37.