Rube Waddell vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
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.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Rube Waddell | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 193 | 511 |
| Losses | 143 | 315 |
| Games | 407 | 906 |
| Games Started | 340 | 815 |
| Complete Games | 261 | 749 |
| Shutouts | 50 | 76 |
| Saves | 5 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,316 | 2,803 |
| Walks | 803 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,460 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 37 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,961 | 7,356 |
| ERA | 2.16 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.10 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 7.04 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.44 | 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.