Christy Mathewson vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–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 Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 strikeouts through October 6, 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 Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Zack Wheeler's 1.13.
- Who pitched more innings? Christy Mathewson, with 4,788.2 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Christy Mathewson, with 82,446 career Pitcher PIV to Zack Wheeler's 39,270.
Christy Mathewson
Zack Wheeler
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Zack Wheeler is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Christy Mathewson | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 373 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 636 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 552 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 435 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 3 |
| Saves | Leads: 29 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,507 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,788.2 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | 4.71 | Leads: 9.58 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.59 | 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Christy Mathewson outpaces Zack Wheeler 82,446 to 39,270 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,580 PIV per season to 3,570, across 18 seasons to 11. 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)
Zack Wheeler — 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 Zack Wheeler 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
How the Christy Mathewson and Zack Wheeler careers compare
No season is shared: Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916, Zack Wheeler 2013–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Christy Mathewson appeared in 636 games to Zack Wheeler's 311. The green cells for Zack Wheeler are strikeouts per nine (9.58 to 4.71). By rate, Christy Mathewson struck out 4.71 and walked 1.59 per nine innings; Zack Wheeler struck out 9.58 and walked 2.56. Both had the same role: Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games); Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). Complete games (435 to 5) show how differently the two eras used starters. Zack Wheeler's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Christy Mathewson vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Christy Mathewson leads Zack Wheeler in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Christy Mathewson, with 373 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2,507 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Zack Wheeler's 1.13.