Christy Mathewson vs Joe McGinnity: 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). Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 as a pitcher; Joe McGinnity played 1899–1908 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
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) and Joe McGinnity (1899–1908) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Joe McGinnity finished with 246 wins and 1,068 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 Joe McGinnity's 2.66.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Joe McGinnity's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Joe McGinnity's 1,068.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Joe McGinnity's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Joe McGinnity's 3,441.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Joe McGinnity's 32.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Joe McGinnity's 3,283.
Christy Mathewson
Joe McGinnity
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 1900s and the 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Joe McGinnity |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 246 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 142 |
| Games | Leads: 636 | 465 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 381 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 314 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 32 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 24 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 1,068 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 812 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 3,276 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 52 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 3,441.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 2.66 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.71 | 2.79 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 2.12 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Joe McGinnity 82,446 to 3,283 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,580 PIV per season to 298, across 18 seasons to 11. 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).
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Joe McGinnity — 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 Joe McGinnity 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 Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity careers compare
Christy Mathewson and Joe McGinnity were active at the same time between 1900 and 1908. With 636 games against 465 across 18 and 11 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to Christy Mathewson. By rate, Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59 per nine innings; Joe McGinnity struck out 2.79 and walked 2.12. Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games), and Joe McGinnity was mainly a starter (381 starts in 465 games). In WHIP, Christy Mathewson's 1.06 beats Joe McGinnity's 1.19.
Christy Mathewson vs Joe McGinnity: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Joe McGinnity?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Joe McGinnity in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Joe McGinnity's 2.66.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Joe McGinnity's 246.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Joe McGinnity's 1,068.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Joe McGinnity's 1.19.