Walter Johnson vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 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
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — both debuted in the 1900s. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Walter Johnson, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Walter Johnson's 2.17.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Christy Mathewson's 373.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.06.
- How many innings did each pitch? Walter Johnson 5,914.2, Christy Mathewson 4,788.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Christy Mathewson's 79.
Walter Johnson
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. 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 | Walter Johnson | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 373 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 188 |
| Games not scored | 802 | 636 |
| Games Started not scored | 666 | 552 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 435 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 79 |
| Saves not scored | 34 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 5,914.2 | 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 2.17 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Christy Mathewson 124,021 to 82,446 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 4,850, across 21 seasons to 17. 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).
Walter Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Walter Johnson leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Christy Mathewson leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Walter Johnson. PIV agrees: Walter Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson careers compare
From 1907 through 1916, Walter Johnson and Christy Mathewson were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 802 games for Walter Johnson and 636 for Christy Mathewson across 21 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Christy Mathewson's edges on the table are ERA (2.13 to 2.17), WHIP (1.06 to 1.06), and walks per nine (1.59 to 2.07). The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 4.71 and 1.59 for Christy Mathewson. Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games), and Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games).
Walter Johnson vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Christy Mathewson in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Walter Johnson's 2.17.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Christy Mathewson's 373.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.06.