David Cone vs Dwight Gooden: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone (1986–2003) and Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Cone compiled 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Dwight Gooden put up 194 wins and 2,293 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
David Cone
Dwight Gooden
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | David Cone | Dwight Gooden |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | 194 |
| Losses | 126 | 112 |
| Games | 450 | 430 |
| Games Started | 419 | 410 |
| Complete Games | 56 | 68 |
| Shutouts | 22 | 24 |
| Saves | 1 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | 2,668 | 2,293 |
| Walks | 1,137 | 954 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,504 | 2,564 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 258 | 210 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,898 | 2,800 |
| ERA | 3.46 | 3.51 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | 8.28 | 7.37 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | 3.07 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dwight Gooden leads David Cone 55,535 to 47,099 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,085 vs 2,479 per year). 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)
Dwight Gooden — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Cone leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Dwight Gooden owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Cone. Note that PIV actually grades Dwight Gooden ahead, which means David Cone's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.