Addie Joss vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson 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). Addie Joss played 1902–1910 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
Addie Joss (1902–1910) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — both debuted in the 1900s. Addie Joss finished with 160 wins and 920 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? Christy Mathewson, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Addie Joss, with 1.89 to Christy Mathewson's 2.13.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Addie Joss's 160.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Addie Joss's 920.
- Who had the better WHIP? Addie Joss, with 0.97 to Christy Mathewson's 1.06.
- How many innings did each pitch? Addie Joss 2,327.0, Christy Mathewson 4,788.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Addie Joss's 45.
Addie Joss
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 | Addie Joss | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 160 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 97 | 188 |
| Games not scored | 286 | 636 |
| Games Started not scored | 260 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 234 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 45 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves not scored | 5 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 920 | Leads: 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 364 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,888 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 19 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,327.0 | 4,788.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 1.89 | 2.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 0.97 | 1.06 |
| K/9 | 3.56 | Leads: 4.71 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.41 | 1.59 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Addie Joss 82,446 to 29,177 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,850 PIV per season to 3,242, across 17 seasons to 9. 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).
Addie Joss — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Christy Mathewson leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Addie Joss leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine. 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 Addie Joss and Christy Mathewson careers compare
From 1902 through 1910, Addie Joss and Christy Mathewson were in the majors together. Christy Mathewson has the far longer record, 636 games against 286 across 9 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Addie Joss comes out ahead, it is in ERA (1.89 to 2.13), WHIP (0.97 to 1.06), and walks per nine (1.41 to 1.59). By rate, Addie Joss struck out 3.56 and walked 1.41 per nine innings; Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59. Both had the same role: Addie Joss was mainly a starter (260 starts in 286 games); Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games).
Addie Joss vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Addie Joss or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Addie Joss in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Addie Joss, with 1.89 to Christy Mathewson's 2.13.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Addie Joss's 160.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Addie Joss's 920.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Addie Joss, with 0.97 to Christy Mathewson's 1.06.