David Cone vs Bret Saberhagen: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone and Bret Saberhagen are close to even, splitting the 8 scored categories on this page 4–4 (8 further counting totals are shown but not scored). David Cone played 1986–2003 as a pitcher; Bret Saberhagen played 1984–2001 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 Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — both debuted in the 1980s. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen finished with 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts. The table below sets out their careers line by line.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Neither — they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA? Bret Saberhagen, with 3.34 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games? David Cone, with 194 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP? Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to David Cone's 1.26.
- How many innings did each pitch? David Cone 2,898.2, Bret Saberhagen 2,562.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Bret Saberhagen's 16.
David Cone
Bret Saberhagen
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 | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 194 | 167 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 117 |
| Games not scored | 450 | 399 |
| Games Started not scored | 419 | 371 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 76 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 16 |
| Saves not scored | 1 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 1,715 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched not scored | 2,898.2 | 2,562.2 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 6.02 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 1.65 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bret Saberhagen leads David Cone 53,065 to 47,099 — driven by per-season impact — 3,317 PIV per season to 2,771 — rather than by longevity, since Bret Saberhagen played 16 seasons to David Cone's 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)
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
David Cone and Bret Saberhagen split the 8 scored categories on the head-to-head card 4-4. On the raw scoreboard neither has the edge. PIV, which is era-adjusted, grades Bret Saberhagen higher. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Cone and Bret Saberhagen careers compare
The careers of David Cone (1986–2003) and Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) overlapped from 1986 to 2001, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 450 games against 399 across 17 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Bret Saberhagen are complete games (76 to 56), ERA (3.34 to 3.46), and WHIP (1.14 to 1.26). The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 6.02 and 1.65 for Bret Saberhagen. David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games), and Bret Saberhagen was mainly a starter (371 starts in 399 games). In WHIP, Bret Saberhagen's 1.14 beats David Cone's 1.26.
David Cone vs Bret Saberhagen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Bret Saberhagen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, neither leads: they split the 8 scored categories 4–4.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 3.34 to David Cone's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- David Cone, with 194 to Bret Saberhagen's 167.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Bret Saberhagen's 1,715.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Bret Saberhagen, with 1.14 to David Cone's 1.26.