Christy Mathewson vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 5 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 as a pitcher; Ed Walsh played 1904–1917 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 Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — both debuted in the 1900s. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Christy Mathewson, in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Christy Mathewson's 2.13.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Christy Mathewson's 1.06.
- How many innings did each pitch? Christy Mathewson 4,788.2, Ed Walsh 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Ed Walsh's 57.
Christy Mathewson
Ed Walsh
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. 8 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 8 are shown but not scored. Games, starts and innings measure playing time, and losses, walks and hits allowed track how long someone pitched, so they are left unmarked, as is any line where both players are at zero. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 126 |
| Games not scored | 636 | 430 |
| Games Started not scored | 552 | 315 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 250 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 57 |
| Saves not scored | 29 | 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,788.2 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 2.13 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.06 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | Leads: 5.27 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 1.87 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson leads Ed Walsh 82,446 to 62,631 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,850 PIV per season to 4,474, across 17 seasons to 14. 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)
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Christy Mathewson leads 5 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Ed Walsh leads 3: ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine. 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 Ed Walsh careers compare
The careers of Christy Mathewson (1900–1916) and Ed Walsh (1904–1917) overlapped from 1904 to 1916, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 636 games against 430 across 17 and 14 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Ed Walsh comes out ahead, it is in ERA (1.82 to 2.13), WHIP (1.00 to 1.06), and strikeouts per nine (5.27 to 4.71). The per-nine rows read 4.71 strikeouts and 1.59 walks for Christy Mathewson, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games).
Christy Mathewson vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Ed Walsh in 5 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Christy Mathewson's 2.13.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Christy Mathewson's 1.06.