Jon Matlack vs Tom Seaver: Career Stats Comparison
Tom Seaver has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jon Matlack played 1971–1983 as a pitcher; Tom Seaver played 1967–1986 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
Jon Matlack (1971–1983) and Tom Seaver (1967–1986) — they debuted in the 1970s and the 1960s respectively and share 13 seasons. Jon Matlack finished with 125 wins and 1,516 strikeouts; Tom Seaver finished with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Tom Seaver, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Jon Matlack's 3.18.
- Who won more games? Tom Seaver, with 311 to Jon Matlack's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Jon Matlack's 1,516.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Jon Matlack's 1.23.
- How many innings did each pitch? Jon Matlack 2,363.0, Tom Seaver 4,782.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Seaver, with 61 to Jon Matlack's 30.
Jon Matlack
Tom Seaver
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 | Jon Matlack | Tom Seaver |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 125 | Leads: 311 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 205 |
| Games not scored | 361 | 656 |
| Games Started not scored | 318 | 647 |
| Complete Games | 97 | Leads: 231 |
| Shutouts | 30 | Leads: 61 |
| Saves not scored | 3 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,516 | Leads: 3,640 |
| Walks not scored | 638 | 1,390 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,276 | 3,971 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 161 | 380 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,363.0 | 4,782.2 |
| ERA | 3.18 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.12 |
| K/9 | 5.77 | Leads: 6.85 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.43 | 2.62 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tom Seaver outpaces Jon Matlack 79,192 to 38,811 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,960 PIV per season to 2,985, across 20 seasons to 13. 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).
Jon Matlack — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tom Seaver — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Tom Seaver leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. Jon Matlack leads 1: walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tom Seaver. PIV agrees: Tom Seaver grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jon Matlack and Tom Seaver careers compare
Jon Matlack and Tom Seaver were active at the same time between 1971 and 1983. Tom Seaver has the far longer record, 656 games against 361 across 13 and 20 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Jon Matlack are walks per nine (2.43 to 2.62). By rate, Jon Matlack struck out 5.77 and walked 2.43 per nine innings; Tom Seaver struck out 6.85 and walked 2.62. Jon Matlack was mainly a starter (318 starts in 361 games), and Tom Seaver was mainly a starter (647 starts in 656 games). Tom Seaver allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.12 WHIP to Jon Matlack's 1.23.
Jon Matlack vs Tom Seaver: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jon Matlack or Tom Seaver?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tom Seaver leads Jon Matlack in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Tom Seaver, with 2.86 to Jon Matlack's 3.18.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Seaver, with 311 to Jon Matlack's 125.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tom Seaver, with 3,640 to Jon Matlack's 1,516.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tom Seaver, with 1.12 to Jon Matlack's 1.23.