David Cone vs Andy Pettitte: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 statistical categories compared on this page. 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) — 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; Andy Pettitte put up 256 wins and 2,448 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 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.
- Who pitched more innings? Andy Pettitte, with 3,316 to David Cone's 2,898.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Andy Pettitte's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Andy Pettitte, with 57,293 career Pitcher PIV to David Cone's 47,099.
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. 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: compare them with the era in mind, or use the PIV card below, which is.
| Statistic | David Cone | Andy Pettitte |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 256 |
| Losses | 126 | 153 |
| Games | 450 | Leads: 531 |
| Games Started | 419 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 4 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 2,448 |
| Walks | 1,137 | 1,031 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,504 | 3,448 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 258 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,898 | Leads: 3,316 |
| 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 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,183 vs 2,479 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)
Andy Pettitte — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Cone leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Andy Pettitte owns wins and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Cone. Note that PIV actually grades Andy Pettitte ahead, which means David Cone's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
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 7 of 12 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.