Christy Mathewson vs John Smoltz: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; John Smoltz played 1988–2009 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 John Smoltz (1988–2009) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 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 John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to John Smoltz's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to John Smoltz's 3,473.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to John Smoltz's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Christy Mathewson's 82,446.
Christy Mathewson
John Smoltz
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | John Smoltz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 213 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 155 |
| Games | 636 | Leads: 723 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 481 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 53 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 16 |
| Saves | 29 | Leads: 154 |
| Strikeouts | 2,507 | Leads: 3,084 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 1,010 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 3,074 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 3,473.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | Leads: 7.99 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz leads Christy Mathewson 91,907 to 82,446 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: John Smoltz played 22 seasons to Christy Mathewson's 18, while Christy Mathewson carries the higher per-season figure (4,580 to 4,178). 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)
John Smoltz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Christy Mathewson leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while John Smoltz owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Christy Mathewson. Note that PIV actually grades John Smoltz ahead, which means Christy Mathewson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Christy Mathewson and John Smoltz careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Christy Mathewson's ended in 1916, and John Smoltz debuted in 1988. The two careers are close in length, 636 games for Christy Mathewson and 723 for John Smoltz across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where John Smoltz comes out ahead, it is in games (723 to 636), saves (154 to 29), and strikeouts (3,084 to 2,507). The per-nine rows read 4.71 strikeouts and 1.59 walks for Christy Mathewson, 7.99 and 2.62 for John Smoltz. Their roles differ: Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games); John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games).
Christy Mathewson vs John Smoltz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or John Smoltz?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads John Smoltz in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to John Smoltz's 1.18.