Don Sutton 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). Don Sutton played 1966–1988 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
Don Sutton (1966–1988) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Sutton finished with 324 wins and 3,574 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 Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Don Sutton's 324.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Cy Young's 2,803.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to Don Sutton's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Don Sutton's 5,282.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Don Sutton's 58.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Don Sutton's 63,310.
Don Sutton
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 1960s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Don Sutton | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 324 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 256 | 315 |
| Games | 774 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 756 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 178 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 58 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,574 | 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,343 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,692 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 472 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,282.1 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 3.26 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.09 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.29 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Don Sutton 141,398 to 63,310 — driven by per-season impact — 6,148 PIV per season to 2,532 — rather than by longevity, since Cy Young played 23 seasons to Don Sutton's 25. 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).
Don Sutton — 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, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Don Sutton owns strikeouts 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 Don Sutton and Cy Young careers compare
Cy Young (1890–1911) was finished before Don Sutton (1966–1988) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 774 games for Don Sutton and 906 for Cy Young across 25 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Don Sutton are strikeouts (3,574 to 2,803) and strikeouts per nine (6.09 to 3.43). The per-nine rows read 6.09 strikeouts and 2.29 walks for Don Sutton, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Both had the same role: Don Sutton was mainly a starter (756 starts in 774 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games).
Don Sutton vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Sutton or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Don Sutton in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Don Sutton's 324.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Cy Young's 2,803.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to Don Sutton's 1.14.