Kid Nichols vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Kid Nichols played 1890–1906 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
Kid Nichols (1890–1906) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — both debuted in the 1890s. Kid Nichols finished with 362 wins and 1,881 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 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Cy Young, with 2.63 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Kid Nichols's 362.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Kid Nichols's 1,881.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to Kid Nichols's 1.22.
- How many innings did each pitch? Kid Nichols 5,067.1, Cy Young 7,356.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Kid Nichols's 48.
Kid Nichols
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Kid Nichols | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 362 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 208 | 315 |
| Games not scored | 621 | 906 |
| Games Started not scored | 562 | 815 |
| Complete Games | 532 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 48 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves not scored | 16 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 1,881 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,272 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,929 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 156 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,067.1 | 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.96 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.22 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 3.34 | Leads: 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.26 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Kid Nichols 141,398 to 64,461 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,427 PIV per season to 4,297, across 22 seasons to 15. 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).
Kid Nichols — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Cy Young leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Kid Nichols leads 0: no scored category. 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 Kid Nichols and Cy Young careers compare
From 1890 through 1906, Kid Nichols and Cy Young were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 621 games for Kid Nichols and 906 for Cy Young across 15 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Cy Young leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Kid Nichols struck out 3.34 and walked 2.26 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Both had the same role: Kid Nichols was mainly a starter (562 starts in 621 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Cy Young allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.13 WHIP to Kid Nichols's 1.22.
Kid Nichols vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kid Nichols or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Kid Nichols in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Kid Nichols's 362.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Kid Nichols's 1,881.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to Kid Nichols's 1.22.