David Cone vs Randy Johnson: Career Stats Comparison
Randy Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Randy Johnson played 1988–2009 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 Randy Johnson (1988–2009) — both debuted in the 1980s. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Randy Johnson finished with 303 wins and 4,875 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Randy Johnson, in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Randy Johnson, with 3.29 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Randy Johnson, with 303 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP? Randy Johnson, with 1.17 to David Cone's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? David Cone 2,898.2, Randy Johnson 4,135.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Randy Johnson, with 37 to David Cone's 22.
David Cone
Randy Johnson
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 | Randy Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 303 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 166 |
| Games not scored | 450 | 618 |
| Games Started not scored | 419 | 603 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 100 |
| Shutouts | 22 | Leads: 37 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | 2,668 | Leads: 4,875 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 1,497 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 3,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 411 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,898.2 | 4,135.1 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 3.29 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.17 |
| K/9 | 8.28 | Leads: 10.61 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 3.26 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Randy Johnson outpaces David Cone 122,530 to 47,099 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,570 PIV per season to 2,771, across 22 seasons to 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)
Randy Johnson — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Randy Johnson leads 8 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. David Cone leads 0: no scored category. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Randy Johnson. PIV agrees: Randy Johnson 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 Randy Johnson careers compare
The careers of David Cone (1986–2003) and Randy Johnson (1988–2009) overlapped from 1988 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 450 games for David Cone and 618 for Randy Johnson across 17 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Randy Johnson leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 10.61 and 3.26 for Randy Johnson. Both had the same role: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Randy Johnson was mainly a starter (603 starts in 618 games).
David Cone vs Randy Johnson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Randy Johnson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Randy Johnson leads David Cone in 8 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Randy Johnson, with 3.29 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Randy Johnson, with 303 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Randy Johnson, with 1.17 to David Cone's 1.26.