Babe Adams vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Babe Adams played 1906–1926 as a pitcher; Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 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
Babe Adams (1906–1926) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — both debuted in the 1900s. Babe Adams finished with 194 wins and 1,036 strikeouts; Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Christy Mathewson, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Babe Adams's 2.76.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Babe Adams's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Babe Adams's 1,036.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Babe Adams's 1.09.
- How many innings did each pitch? Babe Adams 2,995.1, Christy Mathewson 4,788.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Babe Adams's 44.
Babe Adams
Christy Mathewson
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 | Babe Adams | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 140 | 188 |
| Games not scored | 482 | 636 |
| Games Started not scored | 355 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 206 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 44 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves not scored | 15 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,036 | Leads: 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 430 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,841 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 68 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,995.1 | 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 2.76 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.09 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | 3.11 | Leads: 4.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.29 | 1.59 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Babe Adams 82,446 to 41,399 — driven by per-season impact — 4,850 PIV per season to 2,179 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 17 seasons to Babe Adams's 19. 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).
Babe Adams — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Christy Mathewson leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Babe Adams leads 1: walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Christy Mathewson. PIV agrees: Christy Mathewson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Babe Adams and Christy Mathewson careers compare
From 1906 through 1916, Babe Adams and Christy Mathewson were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 482 games for Babe Adams and 636 for Christy Mathewson across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Babe Adams are walks per nine (1.29 to 1.59). The per-nine rows read 3.11 strikeouts and 1.29 walks for Babe Adams, 4.71 and 1.59 for Christy Mathewson. Both had the same role: Babe Adams was mainly a starter (355 starts in 482 games); Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games). Christy Mathewson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Babe Adams's 1.09.
Babe Adams vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Babe Adams or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Babe Adams in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Babe Adams's 2.76.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Babe Adams's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Babe Adams's 1,036.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Babe Adams's 1.09.