Christy Mathewson vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Justin Verlander has played 2005–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 Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 strikeouts through October 12, 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 Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Justin Verlander's 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Justin Verlander's 68,171.
Christy Mathewson
Justin Verlander
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 636 | 557 |
| Games Started | 552 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,507 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson leads Justin Verlander 82,446 to 68,171 — driven by per-season impact — 4,580 PIV per season to 3,099 — rather than by longevity, since Christy Mathewson played 18 seasons to Justin Verlander's 22. 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)
Justin Verlander — 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 Justin Verlander owns strikeouts 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 Justin Verlander careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Christy Mathewson's ended in 1916, and Justin Verlander debuted in 2005. The two careers are close in length, 636 games for Christy Mathewson and 557 for Justin Verlander across 18 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Justin Verlander comes out ahead, it is in starts (557 to 552), strikeouts (3,560 to 2,507), and strikeouts per nine (8.96 to 4.71). By rate, Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59 per nine innings; Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53. Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Justin Verlander's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Christy Mathewson vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Justin Verlander in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Justin Verlander's 1.14.