Christy Mathewson vs Paul Skenes: 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; Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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 Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 6, 2026. 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 Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Christy Mathewson's 1.06.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Christy Mathewson
Paul Skenes
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 636 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 495.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Paul Skenes 82,446 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 4,580). 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)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Christy Mathewson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns WHIP and K/9. 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
No season is shared: Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916, Paul Skenes 2024–present. The table compares 636 games of Christy Mathewson with 87 of Paul Skenes across 18 and 2 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Paul Skenes comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.01 to 1.06) and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 4.71). By rate, Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59 per nine innings; Paul Skenes struck out 10.65 and walked 2.24. Both had the same role: Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Paul Skenes's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Christy Mathewson vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Paul Skenes in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Paul Skenes's 2.62.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Christy Mathewson's 1.06.