Ted Lyons vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Ted Lyons played 1923–1946 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
Ted Lyons (1923–1946) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Ted Lyons finished with 260 wins and 1,073 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 Ted Lyons's 3.67.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Ted Lyons's 260.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Ted Lyons's 1,073.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Ted Lyons's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Ted Lyons's 4,161.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Ted Lyons's 27.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Ted Lyons's 8,642.
Ted Lyons
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 1920s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ted Lyons | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 260 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 230 | 188 |
| Games | 594 | Leads: 636 |
| Games Started | 484 | Leads: 552 |
| Complete Games | 356 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 27 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves | 23 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,073 | Leads: 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 1,121 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,489 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 223 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,161.0 | Leads: 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 3.67 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | 2.32 | Leads: 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.42 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Ted Lyons 82,446 to 8,642 — driven by per-season impact — 4,580 PIV per season to 412 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Ted Lyons's 21. 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).
Ted Lyons — 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, Christy Mathewson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Ted Lyons owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Ted Lyons and Christy Mathewson careers compare
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) was finished before Ted Lyons (1923–1946) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 594 games for Ted Lyons and 636 for Christy Mathewson across 21 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Every scored category on the table goes to Christy Mathewson. By rate, Ted Lyons struck out 2.32 and walked 2.42 per nine innings; Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59. Both had the same role: Ted Lyons was mainly a starter (484 starts in 594 games); Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games).
Ted Lyons vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ted Lyons or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Ted Lyons in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Ted Lyons's 3.67.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Ted Lyons's 260.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Ted Lyons's 1,073.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Ted Lyons's 1.35.