Gerrit Cole vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present 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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 6, 2026; 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 Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Gerrit Cole's 1.09.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Gerrit Cole's 50,909.
Gerrit Cole
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 2010s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 188 |
| Games | 339 | Leads: 636 |
| Games Started | 339 | Leads: 552 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | 2,382 | Leads: 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,081.0 | Leads: 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.09 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.27 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Gerrit Cole 82,446 to 50,909 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,580 PIV per season to 4,242, across 18 seasons to 12. 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).
Gerrit Cole — 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 Gerrit Cole 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.
Related Matchups
How the Gerrit Cole and Christy Mathewson careers compare
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) was finished before Gerrit Cole (2013–present) arrived, so they never shared a league. Christy Mathewson has the far longer record, 636 games against 339 across 12 and 18 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Gerrit Cole comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (10.30 to 4.71). The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 4.71 and 1.59 for Christy Mathewson. Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games), and Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games). The complete-game row, 8 against 435, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games. Because Gerrit Cole is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Gerrit Cole vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Gerrit Cole in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Gerrit Cole's 2,382.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Gerrit Cole's 1.09.