Christy Mathewson vs Deacon Phillippe: 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; Deacon Phillippe played 1899–1911 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 Deacon Phillippe (1899–1911) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1890s respectively and share 12 seasons. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Deacon Phillippe finished with 189 wins and 929 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 Deacon Phillippe's 2.59.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Deacon Phillippe's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Deacon Phillippe's 929.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Deacon Phillippe's 1.11.
- How many innings did each pitch? Christy Mathewson 4,788.2, Deacon Phillippe 2,607.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Deacon Phillippe's 27.
Christy Mathewson
Deacon Phillippe
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 | Deacon Phillippe |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 189 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 109 |
| Games not scored | 636 | 372 |
| Games Started not scored | 552 | 289 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 242 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 27 |
| Saves not scored | 29 | 12 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 929 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 363 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 2,518 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,788.2 | 2,607.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 2.59 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.11 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.71 | 3.21 |
| BB/9 | 1.59 | Leads: 1.25 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Deacon Phillippe 82,446 to 35,866 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,850 PIV per season to 2,759, across 17 seasons to 13. 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)
Deacon Phillippe — 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, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Deacon Phillippe leads 1: walks per nine. 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 Deacon Phillippe careers compare
Christy Mathewson and Deacon Phillippe were active at the same time between 1900 and 1911. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Christy Mathewson appeared in 636 games to Deacon Phillippe's 372. The green cells for Deacon Phillippe are walks per nine (1.25 to 1.59). The per-nine rows read 4.71 strikeouts and 1.59 walks for Christy Mathewson, 3.21 and 1.25 for Deacon Phillippe. Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games), and Deacon Phillippe was mainly a starter (289 starts in 372 games). Christy Mathewson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Deacon Phillippe's 1.11.
Christy Mathewson vs Deacon Phillippe: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Deacon Phillippe?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Deacon Phillippe in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Deacon Phillippe's 2.59.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Deacon Phillippe's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Deacon Phillippe's 929.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Deacon Phillippe's 1.11.