Christy Mathewson vs Red Ruffing: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Red Ruffing played 1924–1947 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 Red Ruffing (1924–1947) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1920s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Red Ruffing finished with 273 wins and 1,987 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 Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Red Ruffing's 273.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Red Ruffing's 4,344.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Red Ruffing's 45.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Red Ruffing's 17,432.
Christy Mathewson
Red Ruffing
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 1920s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Red Ruffing |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 273 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 225 |
| Games | Leads: 636 | 624 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 536 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 335 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 45 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 1,987 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 1,541 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 4,284 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 254 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 4,344.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 3.80 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.34 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.71 | 4.12 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 3.19 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Red Ruffing 82,446 to 17,432 — driven by per-season impact — 4,580 PIV per season to 758 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Red Ruffing'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)
Red Ruffing — 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 Red Ruffing 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 Red Ruffing careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Christy Mathewson's ended in 1916, and Red Ruffing debuted in 1924. The two careers are close in length, 636 games for Christy Mathewson and 624 for Red Ruffing across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Christy Mathewson leads every scored row of the table. By rate, Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59 per nine innings; Red Ruffing struck out 4.12 and walked 3.19. Both had the same role: Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games); Red Ruffing was mainly a starter (536 starts in 624 games). In WHIP, Christy Mathewson's 1.06 beats Red Ruffing's 1.34.
Christy Mathewson vs Red Ruffing: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Red Ruffing?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Red Ruffing in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Red Ruffing's 3.80.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Red Ruffing's 273.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Red Ruffing's 1,987.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Red Ruffing's 1.34.