David Cone vs Fernando Valenzuela: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone and Fernando Valenzuela are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). David Cone played 1986–2003 as a pitcher; Fernando Valenzuela played 1980–1997 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 Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; Fernando Valenzuela finished with 173 wins and 2,074 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 Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games? David Cone, with 194 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Cone, with 1.26 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.
- Who pitched more innings? Fernando Valenzuela, with 2,930.0 to David Cone's 2,898.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Fernando Valenzuela, with 31 to David Cone's 22.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? David Cone, with 47,099 career Pitcher PIV to Fernando Valenzuela's 30,102.
David Cone
Fernando Valenzuela
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 | Fernando Valenzuela |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 194 | 173 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 153 |
| Games | 450 | Leads: 453 |
| Games Started | 419 | Leads: 424 |
| Complete Games | 56 | Leads: 113 |
| Shutouts | 22 | Leads: 31 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 2,074 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 1,151 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 2,718 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 226 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,898.2 | Leads: 2,930.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 3.54 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.32 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 6.37 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 3.53 | 3.54 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Cone outpaces Fernando Valenzuela 47,099 to 30,102 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,479 PIV per season to 1,672, across 19 seasons to 18. 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)
Fernando Valenzuela — 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 Fernando Valenzuela owns innings pitched. 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 Fernando Valenzuela careers compare
The careers of David Cone (1986–2003) and Fernando Valenzuela (1980–1997) overlapped from 1986 to 1997, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 450 games for David Cone and 453 for Fernando Valenzuela across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, David Cone struck out 8.28 and walked 3.53 per nine innings; Fernando Valenzuela struck out 6.37 and walked 3.54. Both had the same role: David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games); Fernando Valenzuela was mainly a starter (424 starts in 453 games).
David Cone vs Fernando Valenzuela: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Cone, with 3.46 to Fernando Valenzuela's 3.54.
- Who won more games?
- David Cone, with 194 to Fernando Valenzuela's 173.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to Fernando Valenzuela's 2,074.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Cone, with 1.26 to Fernando Valenzuela's 1.32.