Christy Mathewson vs Rube Waddell: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 as a pitcher; Rube Waddell played 1897–1910 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 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.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Rube Waddell's 2.16.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Rube Waddell's 2,316.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Rube Waddell's 1.10.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788 to Rube Waddell's 2,961.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Rube Waddell's 50.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Rube Waddell's 69,450.
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. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Rube Waddell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 193 |
| Losses | 188 | 143 |
| Games | Leads: 636 | 407 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 340 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 261 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 50 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 5 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 2,316 |
| Walks | 848 | 803 |
| Hits Allowed | 4,219 | 2,460 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 90 | 37 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788 | 2,961 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 2.16 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.10 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | Leads: 7.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 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.
Related Matchups
Christy Mathewson vs Rube Waddell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Rube Waddell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Rube Waddell in 11 of 12 categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Rube Waddell's 2.16.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Rube Waddell's 193.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Rube Waddell's 2,316.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Rube Waddell's 1.10.