Red Faber vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Red Faber (1914–1933) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — breaking in during the 1910s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Red Faber compiled 254 wins and 1,471 strikeouts; Christy Mathewson put up 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Red Faber
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 | Red Faber | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 254 | 373 |
| Losses | 213 | 188 |
| Games | 669 | 636 |
| Games Started | 483 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 273 | 435 |
| Shutouts | 29 | 79 |
| Saves | 28 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,471 | 2,507 |
| Walks | 1,213 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,106 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 111 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,086 | 4,788 |
| ERA | 3.15 | 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.30 | 1.06 |
| K/9 | 3.24 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.67 | 1.59 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Red Faber 82,446 to 24,538 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,580 vs 1,227 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).
Red Faber — 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 Red Faber 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.