Clayton Kershaw vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Clayton Kershaw played 2008–2025 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
Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Clayton Kershaw finished with 223 wins and 3,052 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 Clayton Kershaw's 2.53.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP? Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Christy Mathewson's 1.06.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Clayton Kershaw's 2,855.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Clayton Kershaw's 15.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Clayton Kershaw, with 93,455 career Pitcher PIV to Christy Mathewson's 82,446.
Clayton Kershaw
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, and the 2000s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Clayton Kershaw | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 223 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 96 | 188 |
| Games | 455 | Leads: 636 |
| Games Started | 451 | Leads: 552 |
| Complete Games | 25 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 15 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,052 | 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 713 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,193 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 235 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,855.1 | Leads: 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 2.53 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.02 | 1.06 |
| K/9 | Leads: 9.62 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.25 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Clayton Kershaw leads Christy Mathewson 93,455 to 82,446 — driven by per-season impact — 5,192 PIV per season to 4,580 — rather than by longevity, since Clayton Kershaw played 18 seasons to Christy Mathewson's 18. 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).
Clayton Kershaw — 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, Clayton Kershaw leads in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Christy Mathewson owns wins, ERA, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Clayton Kershaw. PIV agrees: Clayton Kershaw grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Clayton Kershaw and Christy Mathewson careers compare
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) was finished before Clayton Kershaw (2008–2025) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 455 games for Clayton Kershaw and 636 for Christy Mathewson across 18 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Clayton Kershaw are strikeouts (3,052 to 2,507), WHIP (1.02 to 1.06), and strikeouts per nine (9.62 to 4.71). By rate, Clayton Kershaw struck out 9.62 and walked 2.25 per nine innings; Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59. Clayton Kershaw was mainly a starter (451 starts in 455 games), and Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games).
Clayton Kershaw vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Clayton Kershaw or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Clayton Kershaw in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Clayton Kershaw's 2.53.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Clayton Kershaw's 223.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 3,052 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Clayton Kershaw, with 1.02 to Christy Mathewson's 1.06.