Jerry Koosman vs Jon Matlack: Career Stats Comparison
Jerry Koosman 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). Jerry Koosman played 1967–1985 as a pitcher; Jon Matlack played 1971–1983 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
Jerry Koosman (1967–1985) and Jon Matlack (1971–1983) — they debuted in the 1960s and the 1970s respectively and share 13 seasons. Jerry Koosman finished with 222 wins and 2,556 strikeouts; Jon Matlack finished with 125 wins and 1,516 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Jerry Koosman, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Jon Matlack, with 3.18 to Jerry Koosman's 3.36.
- Who won more games? Jerry Koosman, with 222 to Jon Matlack's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jerry Koosman, with 2,556 to Jon Matlack's 1,516.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jon Matlack, with 1.23 to Jerry Koosman's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jerry Koosman 3,839.1, Jon Matlack 2,363.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jerry Koosman, with 33 to Jon Matlack's 30.
Jerry Koosman
Jon Matlack
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 | Jerry Koosman | Jon Matlack |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 222 | 125 |
| Losses not scored | 209 | 126 |
| Games not scored | 612 | 361 |
| Games Started not scored | 527 | 318 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 140 | 97 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 33 | 30 |
| Saves not scored | 17 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,556 | 1,516 |
| Walks not scored | 1,198 | 638 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,635 | 2,276 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 290 | 161 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,839.1 | 2,363.0 |
| ERA | 3.36 | Leads: 3.18 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.99 | 5.77 |
| BB/9 | 2.81 | Leads: 2.43 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jerry Koosman leads Jon Matlack 42,939 to 38,811 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jerry Koosman played 19 seasons to Jon Matlack's 13, while Jon Matlack carries the higher per-season figure (2,985 to 2,260). 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).
Jerry Koosman — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jon Matlack — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Jerry Koosman leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Jon Matlack leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jerry Koosman. PIV agrees: Jerry Koosman grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jerry Koosman and Jon Matlack careers compare
The careers of Jerry Koosman (1967–1985) and Jon Matlack (1971–1983) overlapped from 1971 to 1983, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Jerry Koosman has the far longer record, 612 games against 361 across 19 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Jon Matlack are ERA (3.18 to 3.36), WHIP (1.23 to 1.26), and walks per nine (2.43 to 2.81). The per-nine rows read 5.99 strikeouts and 2.81 walks for Jerry Koosman, 5.77 and 2.43 for Jon Matlack. Both had the same role: Jerry Koosman was mainly a starter (527 starts in 612 games); Jon Matlack was mainly a starter (318 starts in 361 games).
Jerry Koosman vs Jon Matlack: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jerry Koosman or Jon Matlack?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jerry Koosman leads Jon Matlack in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jon Matlack, with 3.18 to Jerry Koosman's 3.36.
- Who won more games?
- Jerry Koosman, with 222 to Jon Matlack's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jerry Koosman, with 2,556 to Jon Matlack's 1,516.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jon Matlack, with 1.23 to Jerry Koosman's 1.26.