Christy Mathewson vs Kid Nichols: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 as a pitcher; Kid Nichols played 1890–1906 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 Kid Nichols (1890–1906) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1890s respectively and share 7 seasons. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Kid Nichols finished with 362 wins and 1,881 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Christy Mathewson, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Kid Nichols's 362.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Kid Nichols's 1,881.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Kid Nichols's 1.22.
- How many innings did each pitch? Christy Mathewson 4,788.2, Kid Nichols 5,067.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Kid Nichols's 48.
Christy Mathewson
Kid Nichols
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 | Christy Mathewson | Kid Nichols |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 362 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 208 |
| Games not scored | 636 | 621 |
| Games Started not scored | 552 | 562 |
| Complete Games | 435 | Leads: 532 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 48 |
| Saves not scored | 29 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 1,881 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 1,272 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 4,929 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 156 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,788.2 | 5,067.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 2.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.71 | 3.34 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 2.26 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson leads Kid Nichols 82,446 to 64,461 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,850 PIV per season to 4,297, across 17 seasons to 15. 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).
Christy Mathewson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Kid Nichols — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Christy Mathewson leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Kid Nichols leads 1: complete games. 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 Kid Nichols careers compare
Christy Mathewson and Kid Nichols were active at the same time between 1900 and 1906. The two careers are close in length, 636 games for Christy Mathewson and 621 for Kid Nichols across 17 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Kid Nichols are complete games (532 to 435). The per-nine rows read 4.71 strikeouts and 1.59 walks for Christy Mathewson, 3.34 and 2.26 for Kid Nichols. Both had the same role: Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games); Kid Nichols was mainly a starter (562 starts in 621 games). Christy Mathewson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Kid Nichols's 1.22.
Christy Mathewson vs Kid Nichols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Kid Nichols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Kid Nichols in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Kid Nichols's 2.96.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Kid Nichols's 362.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Kid Nichols's 1,881.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Kid Nichols's 1.22.