Christy Mathewson vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Jim Palmer played 1965–1984 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 Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 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 Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Jim Palmer's 3,948.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Jim Palmer's 53.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Christy Mathewson
Jim Palmer
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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 268 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 152 |
| Games | Leads: 636 | 558 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 521 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 211 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 3,948.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | Leads: 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Jim Palmer 82,446 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 4,580 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Jim Palmer's 19. 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)
Jim Palmer — 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 Jim Palmer owns K/9. 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 Jim Palmer careers compare
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) was finished before Jim Palmer (1965–1984) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 636 games for Christy Mathewson and 558 for Jim Palmer across 18 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jim Palmer comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (5.04 to 4.71). The per-nine rows read 4.71 strikeouts and 1.59 walks for Christy Mathewson, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Both had the same role: Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games).
Christy Mathewson vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Jim Palmer in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.