David Cone vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Curt Schilling has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Curt Schilling played 1988–2007 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 Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Curt Schilling finished with 216 wins and 3,116 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Neither — both are at 3.46.
- Who won more games? Curt Schilling, with 216 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to David Cone's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Curt Schilling, with 3,261.0 to David Cone's 2,898.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to David Cone's 47,099.
David Cone
Curt Schilling
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | David Cone | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 216 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 146 |
| Games | 450 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | 419 | Leads: 436 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 20 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 22 |
| Strikeouts | 2,668 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,898.2 | Leads: 3,261.0 |
| ERA | 3.46 | Leads: 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 8.28 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces David Cone 98,246 to 47,099 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 2,479, across 21 seasons to 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)
Curt Schilling — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Curt Schilling leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while David Cone owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Curt Schilling. PIV agrees: Curt Schilling grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the David Cone and Curt Schilling careers compare
From 1988 through 2003, David Cone and Curt Schilling were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 450 games for David Cone and 569 for Curt Schilling across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for David Cone are shutouts (22 to 20). The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 8.60 and 1.96 for Curt Schilling. Both had the same role: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). Curt Schilling allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to David Cone's 1.26.
David Cone vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Curt Schilling?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Curt Schilling leads David Cone in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Curt Schilling, with 216 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to David Cone's 2,668.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to David Cone's 1.26.