Ray Brown vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ray Brown played ?–1945 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
Ray Brown (?–1945) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Ray Brown finished with 123 wins and 726 strikeouts; Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Ray Brown's 3.21.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Ray Brown's 123.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Ray Brown's 726.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Ray Brown's 1.24.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Ray Brown's 1,511.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Ray Brown's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Ray Brown's 30,490.
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. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ray Brown | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 123 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 47 | 188 |
| Games | 224 | Leads: 636 |
| Games Started | 163 | Leads: 552 |
| Complete Games | 142 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 17 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves | 15 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | 726 | Leads: 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 430 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,437 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 40 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,511.2 | Leads: 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 3.21 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | 4.32 | Leads: 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.56 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Ray Brown 82,446 to 30,490 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,580 PIV per season to 1,794, across 18 seasons to 17. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Ray Brown — 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 Ray Brown owns no headline categories. 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.
Related Matchups
How the Ray Brown and Christy Mathewson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Christy Mathewson's ended in 1916, and Ray Brown debuted in 1945. Christy Mathewson has the far longer record, 636 games against 224 across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Christy Mathewson. By rate, Ray Brown struck out 4.32 and walked 2.56 per nine innings; Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59. Both had the same role: Ray Brown was mainly a starter (163 starts in 224 games); Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games). Complete games (142 to 435) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Ray Brown vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ray Brown or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Ray Brown in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Ray Brown's 3.21.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Ray Brown's 123.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Ray Brown's 726.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Ray Brown's 1.24.