Walter Johnson vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — both came up during the 1900s, so the matchup is a direct one. Walter Johnson compiled 417 wins and 3,509 strikeouts; Christy Mathewson put up 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 417 | 373 |
| Losses | 279 | 188 |
| Games | 802 | 636 |
| Games Started | 666 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 531 | 435 |
| Shutouts | 110 | 79 |
| Saves | 34 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 3,509 | 2,507 |
| Walks | 1,363 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,913 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 97 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 5,914 | 4,788 |
| ERA | 2.17 | 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | 1.06 |
| K/9 | 5.34 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.07 | 1.59 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Christy Mathewson 124,021 to 82,446 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (5,906 vs 4,580 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).
Walter Johnson — 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, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Christy Mathewson owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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.