Jim Bunning vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Bunning and Jim Palmer are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Bunning played 1955–1971 as a pitcher; Jim Palmer played 1965–1984 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
Jim Bunning (1955–1971) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Bunning finished with 224 wins and 2,855 strikeouts; Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Jim Bunning's 3,760.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Jim Bunning's 40.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Bunning, with 44,929 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Bunning
Jim Palmer
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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Bunning | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 224 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 184 | 152 |
| Games | Leads: 591 | 558 |
| Games Started | 519 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 151 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 40 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 16 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,855 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 1,000 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,433 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 372 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,760.1 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.27 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.83 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.39 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Bunning outpaces Jim Palmer 44,929 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 2,496 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Bunning played 18 seasons to Jim Palmer's 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).
Jim Bunning — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Jim Palmer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Bunning leads in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Palmer owns wins, ERA, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Bunning. PIV agrees: Jim Bunning grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Bunning and Jim Palmer careers compare
From 1965 through 1971, Jim Bunning and Jim Palmer were in the majors together. With 591 games against 558 across 18 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 6.83 strikeouts and 2.39 walks for Jim Bunning, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Both had the same role: Jim Bunning was mainly a starter (519 starts in 591 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). In WHIP, Jim Bunning's 1.18 beats Jim Palmer's 1.18. On the peak-season lists, Jim Bunning's best year is 1967 at 2.29 ERA and Jim Palmer's is 1972 at 2.07 ERA; Jim Palmer has the stronger single season.
Jim Bunning vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Jim Bunning's 3.27.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Jim Bunning's 224.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Bunning, with 2,855 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.18.