Willie Foster 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). Willie Foster played ?–1937 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
Willie Foster (?–1937) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Willie Foster finished with 125 wins and 1,062 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 Willie Foster's 2.66.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Willie Foster's 1.15.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Willie Foster's 1,665.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Willie Foster's 34.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Willie Foster's 41,672.
Willie Foster
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 | Willie Foster | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 125 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 60 | 188 |
| Games | 262 | Leads: 636 |
| Games Started | 185 | Leads: 552 |
| Complete Games | 142 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 34 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves | 14 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,062 | Leads: 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 522 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,397 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 41 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,665.0 | Leads: 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 2.66 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.15 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.74 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.82 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Willie Foster 82,446 to 41,672 — driven by per-season impact — 4,580 PIV per season to 2,193 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Willie Foster's 19. 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).
Willie Foster — 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 Willie Foster 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 Willie Foster and Christy Mathewson careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Christy Mathewson's ended in 1916, and Willie Foster debuted in 1937. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Willie Foster appeared in 262 games to Christy Mathewson's 636. Where Willie Foster comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (5.74 to 4.71). The per-nine rows read 5.74 strikeouts and 2.82 walks for Willie Foster, 4.71 and 1.59 for Christy Mathewson. Both had the same role: Willie Foster was mainly a starter (185 starts in 262 games); Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games). The complete-game row, 142 against 435, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Willie Foster vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Foster or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Willie Foster in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Willie Foster's 2.66.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Willie Foster's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Willie Foster's 1,062.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Willie Foster's 1.15.