David Cone vs Andy Pettitte: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone has the better career line of the two, leading 6 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; Andy Pettitte played 1995–2013 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 Andy Pettitte (1995–2013) — they debuted in the 1980s and the 1990s respectively and share 9 seasons. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Andy Pettitte finished with 256 wins and 2,448 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? David Cone, in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA? David Cone, with 3.46 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games? Andy Pettitte, with 256 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Andy Pettitte's 2,448.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Cone, with 1.26 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.
- How many innings did each pitch? David Cone 2,898.2, Andy Pettitte 3,316.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Andy Pettitte's 4.
David Cone
Andy Pettitte
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 | Andy Pettitte |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 256 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 153 |
| Games not scored | 450 | 531 |
| Games Started not scored | 419 | 521 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 4 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 2,448 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 1,031 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 3,448 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,898.2 | 3,316.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.85 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.35 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 6.64 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 2.80 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Pettitte leads David Cone 57,293 to 47,099 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,183 PIV per season to 2,771, across 18 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)
Andy Pettitte — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
David Cone leads 6 of the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card: complete games, shutouts, strikeouts, ERA, and others. Andy Pettitte leads 2: wins and walks per nine. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Cone. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Andy Pettitte higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Cone and Andy Pettitte careers compare
David Cone and Andy Pettitte were active at the same time between 1995 and 2003. The two careers are close in length, 450 games for David Cone and 531 for Andy Pettitte across 17 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Andy Pettitte comes out ahead, it is in wins (256 to 194) and walks per nine (2.80 to 3.53). The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 6.64 and 2.80 for Andy Pettitte. Both had the same role: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Andy Pettitte was mainly a starter (521 starts in 531 games).
David Cone vs Andy Pettitte: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Andy Pettitte?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Cone leads Andy Pettitte in 6 of the 8 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Cone, with 3.46 to Andy Pettitte's 3.85.
- Who won more games?
- Andy Pettitte, with 256 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Andy Pettitte's 2,448.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Cone, with 1.26 to Andy Pettitte's 1.35.