Eddie Plank vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Eddie Plank played 1901–1917 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
Eddie Plank (1901–1917) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Eddie Plank finished with 326 wins and 2,246 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? Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Eddie Plank's 326.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Eddie Plank's 2,246.
- Who had the better WHIP? Eddie Plank, with 1.12 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Eddie Plank's 4,495.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Eddie Plank's 69.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Eddie Plank's 51,914.
Eddie Plank
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 | Eddie Plank | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 326 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 194 | 315 |
| Games | 623 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 529 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 410 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 69 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | Leads: 23 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,246 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,072 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,958 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 42 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,495.2 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.35 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.12 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.50 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.15 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Eddie Plank 141,398 to 51,914 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 3,054, across 23 seasons to 17. 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).
Eddie Plank — 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, and innings pitched, while Eddie Plank owns ERA, 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 Eddie Plank and Cy Young careers compare
From 1901 through 1911, Eddie Plank and Cy Young were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 623 games for Eddie Plank and 906 for Cy Young across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Eddie Plank's edges on the table are saves (23 to 18), ERA (2.35 to 2.63), and WHIP (1.12 to 1.13). The per-nine rows read 4.50 strikeouts and 2.15 walks for Eddie Plank, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Eddie Plank was mainly a starter (529 starts in 623 games), and Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). In WHIP, Eddie Plank's 1.12 beats Cy Young's 1.13.
Eddie Plank vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Plank or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Eddie Plank in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Eddie Plank, with 2.35 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Eddie Plank's 326.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Eddie Plank's 2,246.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Eddie Plank, with 1.12 to Cy Young's 1.13.