David Cone vs Bret Saberhagen: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone (1986–2003) and Bret Saberhagen (1984–2001) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Cone compiled 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Bret Saberhagen put up 167 wins and 1,715 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
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. For pitchers, lower ERA, WHIP, and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads.
| Statistic | David Cone | Bret Saberhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | 167 |
| Losses | 126 | 117 |
| Games | 450 | 399 |
| Games Started | 419 | 371 |
| Complete Games | 56 | 76 |
| Shutouts | 22 | 16 |
| Saves | 1 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | 2,668 | 1,715 |
| Walks | 1,137 | 471 |
| Hits Allowed | 2,504 | 2,452 |
| Home Runs Allowed | 258 | 218 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,898 | 2,562 |
| ERA | 3.46 | 3.34 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | 1.14 |
| K/9 | 8.28 | 6.02 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | 1.65 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bret Saberhagen leads David Cone 53,065 to 47,099 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,122 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)
Bret Saberhagen — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Cone leads in wins, strikeouts, K/9, and innings pitched, while Bret Saberhagen 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 Bret Saberhagen ahead, which means David Cone's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.