David Cone vs Dwight Gooden: 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; Dwight Gooden played 1984–2000 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 Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) — both debuted in the 1980s. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Dwight Gooden finished with 194 wins and 2,293 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 Dwight Gooden's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Neither — both are at 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Dwight Gooden's 2,293.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? David Cone 2,898.2, Dwight Gooden 2,800.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Dwight Gooden, with 24 to David Cone's 22.
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. 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 | Dwight Gooden |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | 194 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 112 |
| Games not scored | 450 | 430 |
| Games Started not scored | 419 | 410 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 68 |
| Shutouts | 22 | Leads: 24 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 3 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 2,293 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 954 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 2,564 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 210 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,898.2 | 2,800.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.51 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.26 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 7.37 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 3.07 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dwight Gooden leads David Cone 55,535 to 47,099 — driven by per-season impact — 3,471 PIV per season to 2,771 — rather than by longevity, since Dwight Gooden played 16 seasons to David Cone's 17. 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
David Cone leads 4 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and strikeouts per nine. Dwight Gooden leads 3: complete games, shutouts, and walks per nine. 1 is tied. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Cone. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Dwight Gooden higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Cone and Dwight Gooden careers compare
The careers of David Cone (1986–2003) and Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) overlapped from 1986 to 2000, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 450 games for David Cone and 430 for Dwight Gooden across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Dwight Gooden's edges on the table are complete games (68 to 56), shutouts (24 to 22), and walks per nine (3.07 to 3.53). The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 7.37 and 3.07 for Dwight Gooden.
David Cone vs Dwight Gooden: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Dwight Gooden?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Cone leads Dwight Gooden in 4 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Cone, with 3.46 to Dwight Gooden's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Neither — both are at 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Dwight Gooden's 2,293.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.26.