Christy Mathewson vs Eddie Plank: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) and Eddie Plank (1901–1917) — both came up during the 1900s, so the matchup is a direct one. Christy Mathewson compiled 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Eddie Plank put up 326 wins and 2,246 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Christy Mathewson
Eddie Plank
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Eddie Plank |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 373 | 326 |
| Losses | 188 | 194 |
| Games | 636 | 623 |
| Games Started | 552 | 529 |
| Complete Games | 435 | 410 |
| Shutouts | 79 | 69 |
| Saves | 29 | 23 |
| Strikeouts | 2,507 | 2,246 |
| Walks | 848 | 1,072 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,219 | 3,958 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 90 | 42 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,788 | 4,495 |
| ERA | 2.13 | 2.35 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | 1.12 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | 4.50 |
| BB/9 | 1.59 | 2.15 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Eddie Plank 82,446 to 51,914 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,580 vs 3,054 per year). 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)
Eddie Plank — 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 Eddie Plank 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.