David Cone vs Mariano Rivera: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Mariano Rivera 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 Mariano Rivera (1995–2013) — 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; Mariano Rivera finished with 82 wins and 1,173 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? David Cone, with 194 to Mariano Rivera's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Mariano Rivera's 1,173.
- Who had the better WHIP? Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to David Cone's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? David Cone, with 2,898.2 to Mariano Rivera's 1,283.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Mariano Rivera's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Mariano Rivera, with 52,571 career Pitcher PIV to David Cone's 47,099.
David Cone
Mariano Rivera
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 | Mariano Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 194 | 82 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 60 |
| Games | 450 | Leads: 1,115 |
| Games Started | Leads: 419 | 10 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 0 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 0 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 652 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 1,173 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 286 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 71 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,898.2 | 1,283.2 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 2.21 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 8.22 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 2.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Mariano Rivera leads David Cone 52,571 to 47,099 — driven by per-season impact — 2,767 PIV per season to 2,479 — rather than by longevity, since Mariano Rivera played 19 seasons to David Cone's 19. 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)
Mariano Rivera
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, K/9, and innings pitched, while Mariano Rivera owns ERA and WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Cone. Note that PIV actually grades Mariano Rivera ahead, which means David Cone's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Cone and Mariano Rivera careers compare
David Cone and Mariano Rivera were active at the same time between 1995 and 2003. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: David Cone appeared in 450 games to Mariano Rivera's 1,115. The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 8.22 and 2.01 for Mariano Rivera. Their roles differ: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Mariano Rivera worked mostly in relief (10 starts in 1,115 games, 652 saves). Complete games (56 to 0) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, Mariano Rivera's 1.00 beats David Cone's 1.26.
David Cone vs Mariano Rivera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Mariano Rivera?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Cone leads Mariano Rivera in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Mariano Rivera, with 2.21 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- David Cone, with 194 to Mariano Rivera's 82.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Mariano Rivera's 1,173.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Mariano Rivera, with 1.00 to David Cone's 1.26.