Roger Clemens vs David Cone: Career Stats Comparison
Roger Clemens has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Roger Clemens played 1984–2007 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
Roger Clemens (1984–2007) and David Cone (1986–2003) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. Roger Clemens finished with 354 wins and 4,672 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? Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Roger Clemens, with 354 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to David Cone's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Roger Clemens, with 4,916.2 to David Cone's 2,898.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roger Clemens, with 46 to David Cone's 22.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roger Clemens, with 146,187 career Pitcher PIV to David Cone's 47,099.
Roger Clemens
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 | Roger Clemens | David Cone |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 354 | 194 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 709 | 450 |
| Games Started | Leads: 707 | 419 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 118 | 56 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 46 | 22 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,672 | 2,668 |
| Walks not scored | 1,580 | 1,137 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,185 | 2,504 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 363 | 258 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,916.2 | 2,898.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.12 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.55 | 8.28 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.89 | 3.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roger Clemens outpaces David Cone 146,187 to 47,099 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,091 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).
Roger Clemens — 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, Roger Clemens leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while David Cone owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roger Clemens. PIV agrees: Roger Clemens grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Roger Clemens and David Cone careers compare
From 1986 through 2003, Roger Clemens and David Cone were in the majors together. Roger Clemens has the far longer record, 709 games against 450 across 24 and 19 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. David Cone's edges on the table are saves (1 to 0). By rate, Roger Clemens struck out 8.55 and walked 2.89 per nine innings; David Cone struck out 8.28 and walked 3.53. Both had the same role: Roger Clemens was mainly a starter (707 starts in 709 games); David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games). Roger Clemens allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.17 WHIP to David Cone's 1.26.
Roger Clemens vs David Cone: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Roger Clemens or David Cone?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roger Clemens leads David Cone in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roger Clemens, with 3.12 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Roger Clemens, with 354 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roger Clemens, with 4,672 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roger Clemens, with 1.17 to David Cone's 1.26.