Jim Bunning vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 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
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 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 Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Jim Bunning's 3,760.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Jim Bunning's 40.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Bunning's 44,929.
Jim Bunning
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, and the 1950s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 188 |
| Games | 591 | Leads: 636 |
| Games Started | 519 | Leads: 552 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves | 16 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,760.1 | Leads: 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.39 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Jim Bunning 82,446 to 44,929 — driven by per-season impact — 4,580 PIV per season to 2,496 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Jim Bunning's 18. 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).
Jim Bunning — 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, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Jim Bunning owns strikeouts and 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.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bunning and Christy Mathewson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Christy Mathewson's ended in 1916, and Jim Bunning debuted in 1955. With 591 games against 636 across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Jim Bunning are strikeouts (2,855 to 2,507) and strikeouts per nine (6.83 to 4.71). The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 4.71 and 1.59 for Christy Mathewson. Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games), and Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games). Christy Mathewson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Jim Bunning's 1.18.
Jim Bunning vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Bunning or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Jim Bunning in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Jim Bunning's 1.18.