Paul Skenes 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). Paul Skenes has played 2024–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
Paul Skenes (2024–present) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 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? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Paul Skenes
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 2020s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Paul Skenes | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 31 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 24 | 315 |
| Games | 87 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 87 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 1 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 586 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 123 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 376 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 495.0 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.62 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.01 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.65 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.24 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Paul Skenes 141,398 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Cy Young played 23 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 6,148). 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).
Paul Skenes — 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 Paul Skenes 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 Paul Skenes and Cy Young careers compare
Cy Young (1890–1911) was finished before Paul Skenes (2024–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 87 games of Paul Skenes with 906 of Cy Young across 2 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Paul Skenes are ERA (2.62 to 2.63), WHIP (1.01 to 1.13), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 3.43). The per-nine rows read 10.65 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Paul Skenes, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Both had the same role: Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Paul Skenes's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Paul Skenes vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Skenes or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Paul Skenes in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Cy Young's 1.13.