Don Drysdale vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 7 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Don Drysdale played 1956–1969 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
Don Drysdale (1956–1969) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Don Drysdale finished with 209 wins and 2,486 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 Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Don Drysdale's 3,432.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Don Drysdale's 49.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Don Drysdale, with 57,464 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Don Drysdale
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 | Don Drysdale | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 209 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 152 |
| Games | 518 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 465 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 167 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 49 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,486 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 855 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,084 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 280 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,432.0 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 2.95 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.15 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.52 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.24 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Drysdale outpaces Jim Palmer 57,464 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 4,105 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Don Drysdale played 14 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).
Don Drysdale — 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, Don Drysdale 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 Don Drysdale. PIV agrees: Don Drysdale grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Don Drysdale and Jim Palmer careers compare
Don Drysdale and Jim Palmer were active at the same time between 1965 and 1969. The two careers are close in length, 518 games for Don Drysdale and 558 for Jim Palmer across 14 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 6.52 strikeouts and 2.24 walks for Don Drysdale, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Both had the same role: Don Drysdale was mainly a starter (465 starts in 518 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). In WHIP, Don Drysdale's 1.15 beats Jim Palmer's 1.18.
Don Drysdale vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Don Drysdale or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Don Drysdale in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Don Drysdale's 2.95.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Don Drysdale's 209.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Drysdale, with 2,486 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Drysdale, with 1.15 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.