David Cone vs Jeff Nelson: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone (1986–2003) and Jeff Nelson (1992–2006) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. David Cone compiled 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Jeff Nelson put up 48 wins and 829 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
David Cone
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | David Cone | Jeff Nelson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | 48 |
| Losses | 126 | 45 |
| Games | 450 | 798 |
| Games Started | 419 | 0 |
| Complete Games | 56 | 0 |
| Shutouts | 22 | 0 |
| Saves | 1 | 33 |
| Strikeouts | 2,668 | 829 |
| Walks | 1,137 | 428 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,504 | 633 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 258 | 55 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,898 | 784 |
| ERA | 3.46 | 3.41 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | 8.28 | 9.51 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | 4.91 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Cone outpaces Jeff Nelson 47,099 to 13,516 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,479 vs 845 per year). 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)
Jeff Nelson — top 0 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Cone leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Jeff Nelson owns ERA and K/9. 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.