Kevin Brown vs David Cone: Career Stats Comparison
Kevin Brown has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Kevin Brown played 1986–2005 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
Kevin Brown (1986–2005) and David Cone (1986–2003) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Kevin Brown finished with 211 wins and 2,397 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? Kevin Brown, with 3.28 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Kevin Brown, with 211 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Kevin Brown's 2,397.
- Who had the better WHIP? Kevin Brown, with 1.22 to David Cone's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Kevin Brown, with 3,256.1 to David Cone's 2,898.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Kevin Brown's 17.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Kevin Brown, with 82,163 career Pitcher PIV to David Cone's 47,099.
Kevin Brown
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Kevin Brown | David Cone |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 211 | 194 |
| Losses not scored | 144 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 486 | 450 |
| Games Started | Leads: 476 | 419 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 72 | 56 |
| Shutouts | 17 | Leads: 22 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | 2,397 | Leads: 2,668 |
| Walks not scored | 901 | 1,137 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,079 | 2,504 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 208 | 258 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,256.1 | 2,898.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.28 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.22 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 6.62 | Leads: 8.28 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.49 | 3.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Kevin Brown outpaces David Cone 82,163 to 47,099 — driven by per-season impact — 4,324 PIV per season to 2,479 — rather than by longevity, since Kevin Brown played 19 seasons to David Cone's 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).
Kevin Brown — 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, Kevin Brown leads in wins, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while David Cone owns strikeouts and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Kevin Brown. PIV agrees: Kevin Brown grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Kevin Brown and David Cone careers compare
Kevin Brown and David Cone were active at the same time between 1986 and 2003. The two careers are close in length, 486 games for Kevin Brown and 450 for David Cone across 19 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for David Cone are shutouts (22 to 17), saves (1 to 0), and strikeouts (2,668 to 2,397). The per-nine rows read 6.62 strikeouts and 2.49 walks for Kevin Brown, 8.28 and 3.53 for David Cone. Both had the same role: Kevin Brown was mainly a starter (476 starts in 486 games); David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games).
Kevin Brown vs David Cone: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Kevin Brown or David Cone?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Kevin Brown leads David Cone in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Kevin Brown, with 3.28 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Kevin Brown, with 211 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Kevin Brown's 2,397.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Kevin Brown, with 1.22 to David Cone's 1.26.