Christy Mathewson vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) and Rube Waddell (1897–1910) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson compiled 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Rube Waddell put up 193 wins and 2,316 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Christy Mathewson
Rube Waddell
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 | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 373 | 193 |
| Losses | 188 | 143 |
| Games | 636 | 407 |
| Games Started | 552 | 340 |
| Complete Games | 435 | 261 |
| Shutouts | 79 | 50 |
| Saves | 29 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,507 | 2,316 |
| Walks | 848 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,219 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 90 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | 4,788 | 2,961 |
| ERA | 2.13 | 2.16 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | 7.04 |
| BB/9 | 1.59 | 2.44 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson leads Rube Waddell 82,446 to 69,450 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,580 vs 4,961 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)
Rube Waddell — 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 Rube Waddell owns 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.