Hilton Smith 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). Hilton Smith played ?–1948 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
Hilton Smith (?–1948) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Hilton Smith finished with 71 wins and 628 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 Hilton Smith's 2.93.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Hilton Smith's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Hilton Smith's 37,558.
Hilton Smith
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hilton Smith | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 71 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 38 | 315 |
| Games | 170 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 104 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 63 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 8 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 16 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 628 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 198 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 883 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 19 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 975.1 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.93 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.79 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 1.83 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Hilton Smith 141,398 to 37,558 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 2,504, across 23 seasons to 15. 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).
Hilton Smith — top 1 season 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 Hilton Smith 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 Hilton Smith and Cy Young careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Cy Young's ended in 1911, and Hilton Smith debuted in 1948. Cy Young has the far longer record, 906 games against 170 across 15 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Hilton Smith's edges on the table are WHIP (1.11 to 1.13) and strikeouts per nine (5.79 to 3.43). The per-nine rows read 5.79 strikeouts and 1.83 walks for Hilton Smith, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games), while Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). Complete games (63 to 749) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Hilton Smith vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hilton Smith or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Hilton Smith in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Hilton Smith's 2.93.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Cy Young's 1.13.