Greg Maddux vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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
Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 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 Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Greg Maddux's 355.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Christy Mathewson's 4,788.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Greg Maddux's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Christy Mathewson's 82,446.
Greg Maddux
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 1980s and the 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Greg Maddux | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 355 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 188 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 636 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 109 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 29 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 3.16 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.14 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.06 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 1.80 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Christy Mathewson 133,509 to 82,446 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 4,580, across 25 seasons to 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).
Greg Maddux — 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, Greg Maddux leads in strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Christy Mathewson owns wins, ERA, and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Greg Maddux. PIV agrees: Greg Maddux grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Greg Maddux and Christy Mathewson careers compare
No season is shared: Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916, Greg Maddux 1986–2008. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Greg Maddux and 636 for Christy Mathewson across 25 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 6.06 strikeouts and 1.80 walks for Greg Maddux, 4.71 and 1.59 for Christy Mathewson. Both had the same role: Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games); Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games). Complete games (109 to 435) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Christy Mathewson's 1.06 beats Greg Maddux's 1.14.
Greg Maddux vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Greg Maddux in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Greg Maddux's 355.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Greg Maddux's 1.14.