David Cone vs Jimmy Key: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Jimmy Key played 1984–1998 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 Jimmy Key (1984–1998) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Jimmy Key finished with 186 wins and 1,538 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? David Cone, with 3.46 to Jimmy Key's 3.51.
- Who won more games? David Cone, with 194 to Jimmy Key's 186.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Jimmy Key's 1,538.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jimmy Key, with 1.23 to David Cone's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? David Cone, with 2,898.2 to Jimmy Key's 2,591.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Jimmy Key's 13.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? David Cone, with 47,099 career Pitcher PIV to Jimmy Key's 19,114.
David Cone
Jimmy Key
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | David Cone | Jimmy Key |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 194 | 186 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 117 |
| Games | 450 | Leads: 470 |
| Games Started | Leads: 419 | 389 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 34 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 13 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 10 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 1,538 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 668 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 2,518 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 254 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,898.2 | 2,591.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.51 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.23 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 5.34 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 2.32 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Cone outpaces Jimmy Key 47,099 to 19,114 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,479 PIV per season to 1,274, across 19 seasons to 15. 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)
Jimmy Key — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Cone leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and K/9, while Jimmy Key owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but 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 Jimmy Key careers compare
From 1986 through 1998, David Cone and Jimmy Key were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 450 games for David Cone and 470 for Jimmy Key across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Jimmy Key's edges on the table are games (470 to 450), saves (10 to 1), and WHIP (1.23 to 1.26). The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 5.34 and 2.32 for Jimmy Key. Both had the same role: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Jimmy Key was mainly a starter (389 starts in 470 games).
David Cone vs Jimmy Key: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Jimmy Key?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Cone leads Jimmy Key in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Cone, with 3.46 to Jimmy Key's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- David Cone, with 194 to Jimmy Key's 186.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Jimmy Key's 1,538.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jimmy Key, with 1.23 to David Cone's 1.26.