Tim Keefe vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tim Keefe played 1880–1893 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
Tim Keefe (1880–1893) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — they debuted in the 1880s and the 1890s respectively, so they played in different run environments. Tim Keefe finished with 342 wins and 2,564 strikeouts; Cy Young finished with 511 wins and 2,803 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Cy Young, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Neither — both are at 2.63.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Tim Keefe's 342.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Tim Keefe's 2,564.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- How many innings did each pitch? Tim Keefe 5,049.2, Cy Young 7,356.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Tim Keefe's 39.
Tim Keefe
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1880s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tim Keefe | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 342 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 225 | 315 |
| Games not scored | 600 | 906 |
| Games Started not scored | 594 | 815 |
| Complete Games | 554 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 39 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves not scored | 2 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,564 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,233 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,438 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 75 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,049.2 | 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.63 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.57 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.20 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Tim Keefe 141,398 to 58,200 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,427 PIV per season to 4,157, across 22 seasons to 14. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Tim Keefe — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Cy Young leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Tim Keefe leads 2: WHIP and strikeouts per nine. They played in different eras, and these rows are not era-adjusted. 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 Tim Keefe and Cy Young careers compare
The careers of Tim Keefe (1880–1893) and Cy Young (1890–1911) overlapped from 1890 to 1893, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 600 games of Tim Keefe with 906 of Cy Young across 14 and 22 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Tim Keefe's edges on the table are WHIP (1.12 to 1.13) and strikeouts per nine (4.57 to 3.43). By rate, Tim Keefe struck out 4.57 and walked 2.20 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Tim Keefe was mainly a starter (594 starts in 600 games), and Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games).
Tim Keefe vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tim Keefe or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Tim Keefe in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Tim Keefe's 342.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Tim Keefe's 2,564.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tim Keefe, with 1.12 to Cy Young's 1.13.