David Cone vs David Wells: Career Stats Comparison
David Cone and David Wells 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; David Wells played 1987–2007 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 David Wells (1987–2007) — both came up during the 1980s, so the matchup is a direct one. David Cone finished with 194 wins and 2,668 strikeouts; David Wells finished with 239 wins and 2,201 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 David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games? David Wells, with 239 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? David Cone, with 2,668 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP? David Cone, with 1.26 to David Wells's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? David Wells, with 3,439.0 to David Cone's 2,898.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? David Cone, with 22 to David Wells's 12.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? David Cone, with 47,099 career Pitcher PIV to David Wells's 31,301.
David Cone
David Wells
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 | David Wells |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 239 |
| Losses not scored | 126 | 157 |
| Games | 450 | Leads: 660 |
| Games Started | 419 | Leads: 489 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 56 | 54 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 22 | 12 |
| Saves | 1 | Leads: 13 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,668 | 2,201 |
| Walks not scored | 1,137 | 719 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,504 | 3,635 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 258 | 407 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,898.2 | Leads: 3,439.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 3.46 | 4.13 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.26 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.28 | 5.76 |
| BB/9 | 3.53 | Leads: 1.88 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), David Cone outpaces David Wells 47,099 to 31,301 — driven by per-season impact — 2,479 PIV per season to 1,304 — rather than by longevity, since David Cone played 19 seasons to David Wells's 24. 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)
David Wells — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, David Cone leads in strikeouts, ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while David Wells owns wins and 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 David Wells careers compare
David Cone and David Wells were active at the same time between 1987 and 2003. The two careers are close in length, 450 games for David Cone and 660 for David Wells across 19 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 8.28 strikeouts and 3.53 walks for David Cone, 5.76 and 1.88 for David Wells. David Cone was mainly a starter (419 starts in 450 games), and David Wells was mainly a starter (489 starts in 660 games). In WHIP, David Cone's 1.26 beats David Wells's 1.27.
David Cone vs David Wells: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- David Cone, with 3.46 to David Wells's 4.13.
- Who won more games?
- David Wells, with 239 to David Cone's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- David Cone, with 2,668 to David Wells's 2,201.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- David Cone, with 1.26 to David Wells's 1.27.