Christy Mathewson vs John McGraw: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson and John McGraw played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 as a pitcher; John McGraw played 1891–1907 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) and John McGraw (1891–1907) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Christy Mathewson pitched, totalling 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; John McGraw hit, totalling 1,309 hits and 13 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.
Quick answer
- Who has the higher career PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career PIV to John McGraw's 22,730.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Christy Mathewson
John McGraw
Career Stats, Each in His Own Role
Christy Mathewson is shown on pitching lines and John McGraw on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.
Christy Mathewson — Pitcher
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson |
|---|---|
| Wins | 373 |
| Losses | 188 |
| Games | 636 |
| Games Started | 552 |
| Complete Games | 435 |
| Shutouts | 79 |
| Saves | 29 |
| Strikeouts | 2,507 |
| Walks | 848 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,219 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 90 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,788.2 |
| ERA | 2.13 |
| WHIP | 1.06 |
| K/9 | 4.71 |
| BB/9 | 1.59 |
John McGraw — Hitter
| Statistic | John McGraw |
|---|---|
| Games | 1,100 |
| At-Bats | 3,924 |
| Runs | 1,024 |
| Hits | 1,309 |
| Doubles | 121 |
| Triples | 70 |
| Home Runs | 13 |
| RBI | 462 |
| Walks | 836 |
| Strikeouts | 155 |
| Stolen Bases | 436 |
| Batting Avg | .334 |
| On-Base % | .466 |
| Slugging % | .410 |
| OPS | .876 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
Christy Mathewson carries a career pitching PIV of 82,446; John McGraw carries a career batting PIV of 22,730. Christy Mathewson is the higher of the two at 82,446 to 22,730. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.
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 within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
John McGraw — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Christy Mathewson and John McGraw: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Christy Mathewson grades higher, 82,446 to 22,730. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Christy Mathewson and John McGraw careers compare
Christy Mathewson and John McGraw were active at the same time between 1900 and 1907. Christy Mathewson's pitching card shows 373 wins, a 2.13 ERA and 2,507 strikeouts. John McGraw's batting card reads 1,309 hits, 13 home runs and a .334 average. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.14 ERA in 1909 for Christy Mathewson and .994 OPS in 1899 for John McGraw.
Christy Mathewson vs John McGraw: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who has the higher career PIV?
- Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career PIV to John McGraw's 22,730.
- Who won more championships?
- Both — each won 1 World Series title.
- How do Christy Mathewson and John McGraw compare?
- Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 and John McGraw played 1891–1907; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.