Rube Marquard vs Christy Mathewson: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Rube Marquard played 1908–1925 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
Rube Marquard (1908–1925) and Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) — both debuted in the 1900s. Rube Marquard finished with 201 wins and 1,593 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 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Rube Marquard's 3.08.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Rube Marquard's 201.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Rube Marquard's 1,593.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Rube Marquard's 1.24.
- How many innings did each pitch? Rube Marquard 3,306.2, Christy Mathewson 4,788.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Rube Marquard's 30.
Rube Marquard
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 | Rube Marquard | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 201 | Leads: 373 |
| Losses not scored | 177 | 188 |
| Games not scored | 536 | 636 |
| Games Started not scored | 404 | 552 |
| Complete Games | 197 | Leads: 435 |
| Shutouts | 30 | Leads: 79 |
| Saves not scored | 19 | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 1,593 | Leads: 2,507 |
| Walks not scored | 858 | 848 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,233 | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 107 | 90 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 3,306.2 | 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 3.08 | Leads: 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.24 | Leads: 1.06 |
| K/9 | 4.34 | Leads: 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 2.34 | Leads: 1.59 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Rube Marquard 82,446 to 28,636 — driven by per-season impact — 4,850 PIV per season to 1,591 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 17 seasons to Rube Marquard's 18. 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).
Rube Marquard — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Christy Mathewson leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Rube Marquard leads 0: no scored category. 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 Rube Marquard and Christy Mathewson careers compare
From 1908 through 1916, Rube Marquard and Christy Mathewson were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 536 games for Rube Marquard and 636 for Christy Mathewson across 18 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Christy Mathewson leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 4.34 strikeouts and 2.34 walks for Rube Marquard, 4.71 and 1.59 for Christy Mathewson. Both had the same role: Rube Marquard was mainly a starter (404 starts in 536 games); Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games). In WHIP, Christy Mathewson's 1.06 beats Rube Marquard's 1.24.
Rube Marquard vs Christy Mathewson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rube Marquard or Christy Mathewson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Rube Marquard in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Rube Marquard's 3.08.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Rube Marquard's 201.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Rube Marquard's 1,593.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Rube Marquard's 1.24.