Gerrit Cole vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Gerrit Cole has played 2013–present 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
Gerrit Cole (2013–present) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Gerrit Cole has 163 wins and 2,382 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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 Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Gerrit Cole's 2,081.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Gerrit Cole's 5.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Gerrit Cole, with 50,909 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Gerrit Cole
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 2010s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Gerrit Cole is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Gerrit Cole | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 163 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 152 |
| Games | 339 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 339 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 8 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 5 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,382 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 525 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,742 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 239 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,081.0 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.20 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.09 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.30 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.27 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Gerrit Cole outpaces Jim Palmer 50,909 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 4,242 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Gerrit Cole played 12 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).
Gerrit Cole — 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, Gerrit Cole 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 Gerrit Cole. PIV agrees: Gerrit Cole grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Gerrit Cole and Jim Palmer careers compare
No season is shared: Jim Palmer played 1965–1984, Gerrit Cole 2013–present. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Gerrit Cole has appeared in 339 games to Jim Palmer's 558. The green cells for Gerrit Cole are strikeouts (2,382 to 2,212), WHIP (1.09 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (10.30 to 5.04). The per-nine rows read 10.30 strikeouts and 2.27 walks for Gerrit Cole, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Both had the same role: Gerrit Cole was mainly a starter (339 starts in 339 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Because Gerrit Cole is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Gerrit Cole vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Gerrit Cole or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Gerrit Cole in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Gerrit Cole's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Gerrit Cole's 163.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Gerrit Cole, with 2,382 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Gerrit Cole, with 1.09 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.