Sandy Koufax vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Sandy Koufax played 1955–1966 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
Sandy Koufax (1955–1966) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Sandy Koufax finished with 165 wins and 2,396 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 Sandy Koufax's 2.76.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP? Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Sandy Koufax's 2,324.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Sandy Koufax's 40.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Sandy Koufax's 63,020.
Sandy Koufax
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 | Sandy Koufax | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 165 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 87 | 315 |
| Games | 397 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 314 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 137 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 9 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,396 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 817 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,754 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 204 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,324.1 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.76 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.28 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 3.16 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Sandy Koufax 141,398 to 63,020 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 5,252, across 23 seasons to 12. 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).
Sandy Koufax — 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 innings pitched, while Sandy Koufax owns WHIP and 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 Sandy Koufax and Cy Young careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Cy Young's ended in 1911, and Sandy Koufax debuted in 1955. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Sandy Koufax appeared in 397 games to Cy Young's 906. The green cells for Sandy Koufax are WHIP (1.11 to 1.13) and strikeouts per nine (9.28 to 3.43). The per-nine rows read 9.28 strikeouts and 3.16 walks for Sandy Koufax, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Sandy Koufax was mainly a starter (314 starts in 397 games), and Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Complete games (137 to 749) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Sandy Koufax vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Sandy Koufax or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Sandy Koufax in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Sandy Koufax's 2.76.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Sandy Koufax's 165.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Sandy Koufax's 2,396.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Sandy Koufax, with 1.11 to Cy Young's 1.13.