Christy Mathewson vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Christy Mathewson and Cy Young are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Christy Mathewson played 1900–1916 as a pitcher; Cy Young played 1890–1911 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 Cy Young (1890–1911) — they debuted in the 1900s and the 1890s respectively and share 12 seasons. Christy Mathewson finished with 373 wins and 2,507 strikeouts; Cy Young finished with 511 wins and 2,803 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Christy Mathewson's 373.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP? Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Cy Young's 1.13.
- How many innings did each pitch? Christy Mathewson 4,788.2, Cy Young 7,356.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Christy Mathewson, with 79 to Cy Young's 76.
Christy Mathewson
Cy Young
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 | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 373 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 188 | 315 |
| Games not scored | 636 | 906 |
| Games Started not scored | 552 | 815 |
| Complete Games | 435 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 79 | 76 |
| Saves not scored | 29 | 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,507 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 848 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,219 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 90 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 4,788.2 | 7,356.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.13 | 2.63 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 4.71 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 1.59 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Christy Mathewson 141,398 to 82,446 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,427 PIV per season to 4,850, across 22 seasons to 17. 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)
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Christy Mathewson and Cy Young split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Cy Young higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Christy Mathewson and Cy Young careers compare
From 1900 through 1911, Christy Mathewson and Cy Young were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 636 games for Christy Mathewson and 906 for Cy Young across 17 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Cy Young are wins (511 to 373), complete games (749 to 435), and strikeouts (2,803 to 2,507). The per-nine rows read 4.71 strikeouts and 1.59 walks for Christy Mathewson, 3.43 and 1.49 for Cy Young. Christy Mathewson was mainly a starter (552 starts in 636 games), and Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games).
Christy Mathewson vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Christy Mathewson or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Christy Mathewson, with 2.13 to Cy Young's 2.63.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Christy Mathewson's 373.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Christy Mathewson's 2,507.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Christy Mathewson, with 1.06 to Cy Young's 1.13.