David Cone vs Greg Maddux: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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 Greg Maddux (1986–2008) — both debuted in the 1980s. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Greg Maddux, in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to David Cone's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? David Cone 2,898.2, Greg Maddux 5,008.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Greg Maddux, with 35 to David Cone's 22.
David Cone
Greg Maddux
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 | Greg Maddux |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 355 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 227 |
| Games not scored | 450 | 744 |
| Games Started not scored | 419 | 740 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 109 |
| Shutouts | 22 | Leads: 35 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,668 | Leads: 3,371 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 999 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 4,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 353 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,898.2 | 5,008.1 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 3.16 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 6.06 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 1.80 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces David Cone 133,509 to 47,099 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,805 PIV per season to 2,771, across 23 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)
Greg Maddux — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
Greg Maddux leads 7 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: wins, complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, and others. David Cone leads 1: strikeouts per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Greg Maddux. PIV agrees: Greg Maddux 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 Greg Maddux careers compare
The careers of David Cone (1986–2003) and Greg Maddux (1986–2008) overlapped from 1986 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: David Cone appeared in 450 games to Greg Maddux's 744. The green cells for David Cone are strikeouts per nine (8.28 to 6.06). The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 6.06 and 1.80 for Greg Maddux. David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games), and Greg Maddux was mainly a starter (740 starts in 744 games). Greg Maddux allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to David Cone's 1.26.
David Cone vs Greg Maddux: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Greg Maddux?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads David Cone in 7 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Greg Maddux, with 3.16 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to David Cone's 1.26.