Fernando Valenzuela vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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
Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 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 Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,930.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Fernando Valenzuela's 31.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
Fernando Valenzuela
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 1980s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Fernando Valenzuela | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 173 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 153 | 315 |
| Games | 453 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 424 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 113 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 31 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,074 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,151 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,718 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 226 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,930.0 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 3.54 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.32 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.37 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 3.54 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 141,398 to 30,102 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 1,672, across 23 seasons to 18. 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).
Fernando Valenzuela — 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, ERA, and WHIP, while Fernando Valenzuela owns 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 Fernando Valenzuela and Cy Young careers compare
No season is shared: Cy Young played 1890–1911, Fernando Valenzuela 1980–1997. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Fernando Valenzuela appeared in 453 games to Cy Young's 906. The green cells for Fernando Valenzuela are strikeouts per nine (6.37 to 3.43). The per-nine rows read 6.37 strikeouts and 3.54 walks for Fernando Valenzuela, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games), and Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). The complete-game row, 113 against 749, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. In WHIP, Cy Young's 1.13 beats Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
Fernando Valenzuela vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Fernando Valenzuela or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Fernando Valenzuela in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.