Max Scherzer vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Max Scherzer has played 2008–present 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
Max Scherzer (2008–present) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Max Scherzer has 225 wins and 3,557 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; 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 Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Max Scherzer's 225.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Cy Young's 2,803.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Max Scherzer's 3,047.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Max Scherzer's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Max Scherzer's 68,491.
Max Scherzer
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 2000s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Max Scherzer is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Max Scherzer | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 225 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 315 |
| Games | 501 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 492 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 12 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,557 | 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 814 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,511 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 369 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,047.2 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 3.29 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.50 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.40 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Max Scherzer 141,398 to 68,491 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 3,425, across 23 seasons to 20. 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).
Max Scherzer — 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, ERA, and innings pitched, while Max Scherzer owns strikeouts, 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 Max Scherzer and Cy Young careers compare
No season is shared: Cy Young played 1890–1911, Max Scherzer 2008–present. The table compares 501 games of Max Scherzer with 906 of Cy Young across 20 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Max Scherzer's edges on the table are strikeouts (3,557 to 2,803), WHIP (1.09 to 1.13), and strikeouts per nine (10.50 to 3.43). The per-nine rows read 10.50 strikeouts and 2.40 walks for Max Scherzer, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Both had the same role: Max Scherzer was mainly a starter (492 starts in 501 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Max Scherzer's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Max Scherzer vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Scherzer or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Max Scherzer in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Max Scherzer's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Max Scherzer's 225.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Max Scherzer, with 3,557 to Cy Young's 2,803.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Scherzer, with 1.09 to Cy Young's 1.13.