Christy Mathewson vs Robin Roberts: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Robin Roberts played 1948–1966 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 Robin Roberts (1948–1966) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1940s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Robin Roberts finished with 286 wins and 2,357 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 Robin Roberts's 3.41.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Robin Roberts's 286.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Robin Roberts's 2,357.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Robin Roberts's 1.17.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Robin Roberts's 4,688.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Robin Roberts's 45.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Robin Roberts's 49,794.
Christy Mathewson
Robin Roberts
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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Robin Roberts |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 286 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 245 |
| Games | 636 | Leads: 676 |
| Games Started | 552 | Leads: 609 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 305 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 45 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 25 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 2,357 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 902 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 4,582 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 505 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 4,688.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 3.41 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.17 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.71 | 4.52 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 1.73 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Robin Roberts 82,446 to 49,794 — driven by per-season impact — 4,580 PIV per season to 2,371 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Robin Roberts's 21. 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)
Robin Roberts — 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 Robin Roberts 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 Robin Roberts careers compare
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) was finished before Robin Roberts (1948–1966) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 636 games for Christy Mathewson and 676 for Robin Roberts across 18 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Robin Roberts comes out ahead, it is in games (676 to 636) and starts (609 to 552). The per-nine rows read 4.71 strikeouts and 1.59 walks for Christy Mathewson, 4.52 and 1.73 for Robin Roberts. Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games), and Robin Roberts was mainly a starter (609 starts in 676 games). In WHIP, Christy Mathewson's 1.06 beats Robin Roberts's 1.17.
Christy Mathewson vs Robin Roberts: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Robin Roberts?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Robin Roberts in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Robin Roberts's 3.41.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Robin Roberts's 286.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Robin Roberts's 2,357.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Robin Roberts's 1.17.