Charles Bender vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Charles Bender (1903–1925) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — both came up during the 1900s, so the matchup is a direct one. Charles Bender compiled 212 wins and 1,711 strikeouts; Christy Mathewson put up 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Charles Bender
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Charles Bender | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 212 | 373 |
| Losses | 127 | 188 |
| Games | 459 | 636 |
| Games Started | 334 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 255 | 435 |
| Shutouts | 40 | 79 |
| Saves | 34 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,711 | 2,507 |
| Walks | 712 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,645 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 40 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,017 | 4,788 |
| ERA | 2.46 | 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.11 | 1.06 |
| K/9 | 5.10 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.12 | 1.59 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Charles Bender 82,446 to 43,118 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,580 vs 2,695 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).
Charles Bender — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Christy Mathewson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Charles Bender owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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.