Christy Mathewson vs Herb Pennock: 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; Herb Pennock played 1912–1934 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 Herb Pennock (1912–1934) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1910s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Herb Pennock finished with 240 wins and 1,227 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 Herb Pennock's 3.60.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Herb Pennock's 240.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Herb Pennock's 1,227.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Herb Pennock's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Herb Pennock's 3,571.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Herb Pennock's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Herb Pennock's 29,181.
Christy Mathewson
Herb Pennock
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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Herb Pennock |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 240 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 162 |
| Games | Leads: 636 | 617 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 420 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 247 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 35 |
| Saves | 29 | Leads: 32 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 1,227 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 916 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 3,900 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 128 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 3,571.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 3.60 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.71 | 3.09 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 2.31 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Herb Pennock 82,446 to 29,181 — driven by per-season impact — 4,580 PIV per season to 1,269 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Herb Pennock's 23. 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)
Herb Pennock — 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 Herb Pennock 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 Herb Pennock careers compare
The careers of Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) and Herb Pennock (1912–1934) overlapped from 1912 to 1916, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 636 games against 617 across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Herb Pennock are saves (32 to 29). The per-nine rows read 4.71 strikeouts and 1.59 walks for Christy Mathewson, 3.09 and 2.31 for Herb Pennock. Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games), while Herb Pennock split time between starting and relief (420 starts in 617 games). Christy Mathewson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Herb Pennock's 1.35.
Christy Mathewson vs Herb Pennock: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Herb Pennock?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Herb Pennock in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Herb Pennock's 3.60.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Herb Pennock's 240.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Herb Pennock's 1,227.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Herb Pennock's 1.35.