Rube Waddell vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rube Waddell played 1897–1910 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
Rube Waddell (1897–1910) and Cy Young (1890–1911) — both debuted in the 1890s. Rube Waddell finished with 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts; Cy Young finished with 511 wins and 2,803 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Cy Young, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Rube Waddell's 2,316.
- Who had the better WHIP? Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- How many innings did each pitch? Rube Waddell 2,961.1, Cy Young 7,356.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Rube Waddell's 50.
Rube Waddell
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Rube Waddell | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 193 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 143 | 315 |
| Games not scored | 407 | 906 |
| Games Started not scored | 340 | 815 |
| Complete Games | 261 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 50 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves not scored | 5 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,316 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 803 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,460 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 37 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,961.1 | 7,356.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.16 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.10 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.04 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.44 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Rube Waddell 141,398 to 69,450 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,427 PIV per season to 5,342, across 22 seasons to 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Rube Waddell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Cy Young leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Rube Waddell leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine. 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 Rube Waddell and Cy Young careers compare
From 1897 through 1910, Rube Waddell and Cy Young were in the majors together. Cy Young has the far longer record, 906 games against 407 across 13 and 22 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Rube Waddell comes out ahead, it is in ERA (2.16 to 2.63), WHIP (1.10 to 1.13), and strikeouts per nine (7.04 to 3.43). The per-nine rows read 7.04 strikeouts and 2.44 walks for Rube Waddell, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Both had the same role: Rube Waddell was mainly a starter (340 starts in 407 games); Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). In WHIP, Rube Waddell's 1.10 beats Cy Young's 1.13.
Rube Waddell vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rube Waddell or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Rube Waddell in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Rube Waddell, with 2.16 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Rube Waddell's 2,316.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Rube Waddell, with 1.10 to Cy Young's 1.13.