Walter Johnson vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson and Cy Young are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 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
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 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? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Walter Johnson's 417.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Cy Young's 2,803.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Walter Johnson's 5,914.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Cy Young's 76.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Walter Johnson's 124,021.
Walter Johnson
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 1900s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 417 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 315 |
| Games | 802 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 666 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 531 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 76 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,914.2 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young leads Walter Johnson 141,398 to 124,021 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 5,906, across 23 seasons to 21. 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).
Walter Johnson — 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, Walter Johnson leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Cy Young owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Walter Johnson. Note that PIV actually grades Cy Young ahead, which means Walter Johnson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Walter Johnson and Cy Young careers compare
From 1907 through 1911, Walter Johnson and Cy Young were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 802 games for Walter Johnson and 906 for Cy Young across 21 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Walter Johnson struck out 5.34 and walked 2.07 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Walter Johnson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Cy Young's 1.13.
Walter Johnson vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Walter Johnson's 417.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Cy Young's 2,803.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Cy Young's 1.13.