Waite Hoyt 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). Waite Hoyt played 1918–1938 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
Waite Hoyt (1918–1938) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Waite Hoyt finished with 237 wins and 1,206 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 Waite Hoyt's 3.59.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Waite Hoyt's 237.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Waite Hoyt's 1,206.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to Waite Hoyt's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Waite Hoyt's 3,762.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Waite Hoyt's 26.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Waite Hoyt's 27,173.
Waite Hoyt
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 | Waite Hoyt | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 237 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 182 | 315 |
| Games | 674 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 423 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 226 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 26 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | Leads: 52 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 1,206 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,003 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,037 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 154 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,762.1 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 3.59 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.34 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 2.88 | Leads: 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.40 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Waite Hoyt 141,398 to 27,173 — driven by per-season impact — 6,148 PIV per season to 1,087 — rather than by longevity, since Cy Young played 23 seasons to Waite Hoyt's 25. 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).
Waite Hoyt — 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 Waite Hoyt 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 Waite Hoyt and Cy Young careers compare
Cy Young (1890–1911) was finished before Waite Hoyt (1918–1938) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 674 games against 906 across 25 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Waite Hoyt are saves (52 to 18). By rate, Waite Hoyt struck out 2.88 and walked 2.40 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Their roles differ: Waite Hoyt split time between starting and relief (423 starts in 674 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). The complete-game row, 226 against 749, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Waite Hoyt vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Waite Hoyt or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Waite Hoyt in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Waite Hoyt's 3.59.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Waite Hoyt's 237.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Waite Hoyt's 1,206.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to Waite Hoyt's 1.34.