David Cone vs Tom Glavine: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone has the better career line of the two, leading 4 of the 8 scored categories on this page (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). David Cone played 1986–2003 as a pitcher; Tom Glavine played 1987–2008 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
David Cone (1986–2003) and Tom Glavine (1987–2008) — both debuted in the 1980s. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Tom Glavine finished with 305 wins and 2,607 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? David Cone, in 4 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? David Cone, with 3.46 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games? Tom Glavine, with 305 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Tom Glavine's 2,607.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Cone, with 1.26 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.
- How many innings did each pitch? David Cone 2,898.2, Tom Glavine 4,413.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Tom Glavine, with 25 to David Cone's 22.
David Cone
Tom Glavine
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 | David Cone | Tom Glavine |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 305 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 203 |
| Games not scored | 450 | 682 |
| Games Started not scored | 419 | 682 |
| Complete Games | 56 | 56 |
| Shutouts | 22 | Leads: 25 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 2,607 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 1,500 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 4,298 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 356 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,898.2 | 4,413.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.31 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 5.32 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 3.06 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Cone leads Tom Glavine 47,099 to 40,421 — driven by per-season impact — 2,771 PIV per season to 1,837 — rather than by longevity, since David Cone played 17 seasons to Tom Glavine's 22. 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).
David Cone — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Tom Glavine — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
David Cone leads 4 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine. Tom Glavine leads 3: wins, shutouts, and walks per nine. 1 is tied. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Cone. PIV agrees: David Cone grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Cone and Tom Glavine careers compare
The careers of David Cone (1986–2003) and Tom Glavine (1987–2008) overlapped from 1987 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: David Cone appeared in 450 games to Tom Glavine's 682. The green cells for Tom Glavine are wins (305 to 194), shutouts (25 to 22), and walks per nine (3.06 to 3.53). The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 5.32 and 3.06 for Tom Glavine. Both had the same role: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Tom Glavine was mainly a starter (682 starts in 682 games).
David Cone vs Tom Glavine: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Tom Glavine?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Cone leads Tom Glavine in 4 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Cone, with 3.46 to Tom Glavine's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- Tom Glavine, with 305 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Tom Glavine's 2,607.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Cone, with 1.26 to Tom Glavine's 1.31.