Rube Waddell vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. 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 came up during the 1890s, so the matchup is a direct one. Rube Waddell compiled 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts; Cy Young put up 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? 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.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356 to Rube Waddell's 2,961.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Rube Waddell's 50.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Rube Waddell's 69,450.
Rube Waddell
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Rube Waddell | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 193 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses | 143 | 315 |
| Games | 407 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 340 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 261 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 50 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 5 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,316 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks | 803 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,460 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 37 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,961 | Leads: 7,356 |
| 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 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (6,148 vs 4,961 per year). 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
On the head-to-head card, Cy Young leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Rube Waddell 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
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 9 of 12 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.