David Cone vs Jeff Nelson: 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; Jeff Nelson played 1992–2006 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 Jeff Nelson (1992–2006) — 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; Jeff Nelson finished with 48 wins and 829 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jeff Nelson, with 3.41 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? David Cone, with 194 to Jeff Nelson's 48.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Jeff Nelson's 829.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Cone, with 1.26 to Jeff Nelson's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? David Cone, with 2,898.2 to Jeff Nelson's 784.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Jeff Nelson's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? David Cone, with 47,099 career Pitcher PIV to Jeff Nelson's 13,516.
David Cone
Jeff Nelson
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 | Jeff Nelson |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 194 | 48 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 45 |
| Games | 450 | Leads: 798 |
| Games Started | Leads: 419 | 0 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 0 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 33 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 829 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 428 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 633 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 55 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,898.2 | 784.2 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 3.41 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | 8.28 | Leads: 9.51 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.53 | 4.91 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Cone outpaces Jeff Nelson 47,099 to 13,516 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,479 PIV per season to 845, across 19 seasons to 16. 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)
Jeff Nelson
No seasons meet the qualifying workload, so there is no peak-season list to show.
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.
Related Matchups
How the David Cone and Jeff Nelson careers compare
David Cone and Jeff Nelson were active at the same time between 1992 and 2003. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: David Cone appeared in 450 games to Jeff Nelson's 798. Jeff Nelson's edges on the table are games (798 to 450), saves (33 to 1), and ERA (3.41 to 3.46). The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 9.51 and 4.91 for Jeff Nelson. Their roles differ: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Jeff Nelson worked mostly in relief (0 starts in 798 games, 33 saves).
David Cone vs Jeff Nelson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Jeff Nelson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Cone leads Jeff Nelson in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jeff Nelson, with 3.41 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- David Cone, with 194 to Jeff Nelson's 48.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Jeff Nelson's 829.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Cone, with 1.26 to Jeff Nelson's 1.35.