Christy Mathewson vs Hippo Vaughn: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) and Hippo Vaughn (1908–1921) — both came up during the 1900s, so the matchup is a direct one. Christy Mathewson compiled 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Hippo Vaughn put up 178 wins and 1,416 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Christy Mathewson
Hippo Vaughn
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 | Hippo Vaughn |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 373 | 178 |
| Losses | 188 | 137 |
| Games | 636 | 390 |
| Games Started | 552 | 331 |
| Complete Games | 435 | 215 |
| Shutouts | 79 | 41 |
| Saves | 29 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,507 | 1,416 |
| Walks | 848 | 817 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,219 | 2,461 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 90 | 39 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,788 | 2,730 |
| ERA | 2.13 | 2.49 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | 1.20 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | 4.67 |
| BB/9 | 1.59 | 2.69 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Hippo Vaughn 82,446 to 27,688 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,580 vs 1,978 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)
Hippo Vaughn — 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 Hippo Vaughn 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.