David Cone vs Roy Halladay: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). David Cone played 1986–2003 as a pitcher; Roy Halladay played 1998–2013 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 Roy Halladay (1998–2013) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Roy Halladay finished with 203 wins and 2,117 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Roy Halladay, with 203 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Roy Halladay's 2,117.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to David Cone's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? David Cone, with 2,898.2 to Roy Halladay's 2,749.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Roy Halladay's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Halladay, with 66,478 career Pitcher PIV to David Cone's 47,099.
David Cone
Roy Halladay
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, and the 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | David Cone | Roy Halladay |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 203 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 105 |
| Games | Leads: 450 | 416 |
| Games Started | Leads: 419 | 390 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 67 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 20 |
| Saves | 1 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 2,117 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 592 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 2,646 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 236 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,898.2 | 2,749.1 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 3.38 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 6.93 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Halladay outpaces David Cone 66,478 to 47,099 — driven by per-season impact — 4,155 PIV per season to 2,479 — rather than by longevity, since Roy Halladay played 16 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).
David Cone — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Roy Halladay — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roy Halladay leads in wins, ERA, and WHIP, while David Cone owns strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Halladay. PIV agrees: Roy Halladay 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 Roy Halladay careers compare
From 1998 through 2003, David Cone and Roy Halladay were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 450 games for David Cone and 416 for Roy Halladay across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 6.93 and 1.94 for Roy Halladay. Both had the same role: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Roy Halladay was mainly a starter (390 starts in 416 games). In WHIP, Roy Halladay's 1.18 beats David Cone's 1.26.
David Cone vs Roy Halladay: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Roy Halladay?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Cone leads Roy Halladay in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Halladay, with 203 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Roy Halladay's 2,117.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to David Cone's 1.26.