David Cone vs Jason Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Jason Schmidt played 1995–2009 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 Jason Schmidt (1995–2009) — 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; Jason Schmidt finished with 130 wins and 1,758 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? David Cone, with 3.46 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games? David Cone, with 194 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Cone, with 1.26 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? David Cone, with 2,898.2 to Jason Schmidt's 1,996.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to Jason Schmidt's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? David Cone, with 47,099 career Pitcher PIV to Jason Schmidt's 34,873.
David Cone
Jason Schmidt
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 | Jason Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 194 | 130 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 96 |
| Games | Leads: 450 | 323 |
| Games Started | Leads: 419 | 314 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 20 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 1 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 1,758 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 792 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 1,846 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 184 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 2,898.2 | 1,996.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.96 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 7.93 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.53 | 3.57 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Cone outpaces Jason Schmidt 47,099 to 34,873 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,479 PIV per season to 2,180, across 19 seasons to 16. 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)
Jason Schmidt — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Cone leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jason Schmidt owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to David Cone. PIV agrees: David Cone 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 Jason Schmidt careers compare
David Cone and Jason Schmidt were active at the same time between 1995 and 2003. With 450 games against 323 across 19 and 16 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Every scored category on the table goes to David Cone. By rate, David Cone struck out 8.28 and walked 3.53 per nine innings; Jason Schmidt struck out 7.93 and walked 3.57. Both had the same role: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Jason Schmidt was mainly a starter (314 starts in 323 games). David Cone allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.26 WHIP to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.
David Cone vs Jason Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, David Cone or Jason Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, David Cone leads Jason Schmidt in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Cone, with 3.46 to Jason Schmidt's 3.96.
- Who won more games?
- David Cone, with 194 to Jason Schmidt's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Jason Schmidt's 1,758.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Cone, with 1.26 to Jason Schmidt's 1.32.