David Cone vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison

David Cone (1986–2003) and Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Cone compiled 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Curt Schilling put up 216 wins and 3,116 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.

David Cone

Pitcher · 1986–2003
Wins
194
Losses
126
Strikeouts
2,668
ERA
3.46
WHIP
1.26
IP
2,898
View David Cone's full profile →

Curt Schilling

Pitcher · 1988–2007
Wins
216
Losses
146
Strikeouts
3,116
ERA
3.46
WHIP
1.14
IP
3,261
View Curt Schilling's full profile →

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 Curt Schilling
Wins 194 216
Losses 126 146
Games 450 569
Games Started 419 436
Complete Games 56 83
Shutouts 22 20
Saves 1 22
Strikeouts 2,668 3,116
Walks 1,137 711
Hits Allowed 2,504 2,998
Home Runs Allowed 258 347
Innings Pitched 2,898 3,261
ERA 3.46 3.46
WHIP 1.26 1.14
K/9 8.28 8.60
BB/9 3.53 1.96

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces David Cone 98,246 to 47,099 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,678 vs 2,479 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

David Cone
47,099
Career Pitcher PIV · 2,479 per season (19 seasons)
Curt Schilling
98,246
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,678 per season (21 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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)

19882.22 ERA20-3, 213 K in 231 IP
19972.82 ERA12-6, 222 K in 195 IP
19922.88 ERA13-7, 214 K in 196 IP

Curt Schilling — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19922.35 ERA14-11, 147 K in 226 IP
20032.95 ERA8-9, 194 K in 168 IP
19972.97 ERA17-11, 319 K in 254 IP

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

See These Players in Another Era