Bert Blyleven vs David Cone: Career Stats Comparison
Bert Blyleven has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bert Blyleven played 1970–1992 as a pitcher; David Cone played 1986–2003 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
Bert Blyleven (1970–1992) and David Cone (1986–2003) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bert Blyleven finished with 287 wins and 3,701 strikeouts; David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Bert Blyleven, with 287 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bert Blyleven, with 1.20 to David Cone's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Bert Blyleven, with 4,970.0 to David Cone's 2,898.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bert Blyleven, with 60 to David Cone's 22.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bert Blyleven, with 74,910 career Pitcher PIV to David Cone's 47,099.
Bert Blyleven
David Cone
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 1970s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Bert Blyleven | David Cone |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 287 | 194 |
| Losses not scored | 250 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 692 | 450 |
| Games Started | Leads: 685 | 419 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 242 | 56 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 60 | 22 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,701 | 2,668 |
| Walks not scored | 1,322 | 1,137 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,632 | 2,504 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 430 | 258 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,970.0 | 2,898.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.31 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.20 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 6.70 | Leads: 8.28 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 3.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bert Blyleven outpaces David Cone 74,910 to 47,099 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,121 PIV per season to 2,479, across 24 seasons to 19. 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).
Bert Blyleven — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
David Cone — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Bert Blyleven leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while David Cone owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Bert Blyleven. PIV agrees: Bert Blyleven grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bert Blyleven and David Cone careers compare
Bert Blyleven and David Cone were active at the same time between 1986 and 1992. Bert Blyleven has the far longer record, 692 games against 450 across 24 and 19 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for David Cone are saves (1 to 0) and strikeouts per nine (8.28 to 6.70). The per-nine rows read 6.70 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Bert Blyleven, 8.28 and 3.53 for David Cone. Bert Blyleven was mainly a starter (685 starts in 692 games), and David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games). The complete-game row, 242 against 56, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Bert Blyleven vs David Cone: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bert Blyleven or David Cone?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Bert Blyleven leads David Cone in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3.31 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Bert Blyleven, with 287 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bert Blyleven, with 3,701 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bert Blyleven, with 1.20 to David Cone's 1.26.