John Carden vs. Ron Mathis — Career Comparison

Ron Mathis built a career as a starting pitcher and John Carden as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Ron Mathis posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 5.93 and WHIP 1.610 compared to 22.5 and 4.000 for John Carden. By the career numbers, Ron Mathis had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.