Max Fried vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Max Fried has played 2017–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
Max Fried (2017–present) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Max Fried has 97 wins and 1,156 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 Max Fried's 3.01.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP? Max Fried, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Max Fried's 1,192.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Max Fried's 4.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Max Fried, with 26,852 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Max Fried
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.
Max Fried is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Max Fried | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 97 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 46 | 152 |
| Games | 220 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 203 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 6 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 4 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | 1,156 | Leads: 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 330 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,026 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 94 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,192.1 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.01 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.73 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.49 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Max Fried outpaces Jim Palmer 26,852 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 2,984 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Max Fried played 9 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).
Max Fried — 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 Palmer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Max Fried owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Palmer. Note that PIV actually grades Max Fried ahead, which means Jim Palmer's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Max Fried and Jim Palmer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jim Palmer's ended in 1984, and Max Fried debuted in 2017. The table compares 220 games of Max Fried with 558 of Jim Palmer across 9 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Max Fried's edges on the table are WHIP (1.14 to 1.18), strikeouts per nine (8.73 to 5.04), and walks per nine (2.49 to 2.99). The per-nine rows read 8.73 strikeouts and 2.49 walks for Max Fried, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Max Fried was mainly a starter (203 starts in 220 games), and Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Max Fried's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Max Fried vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Max Fried or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Max Fried in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Max Fried's 3.01.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Max Fried's 97.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Max Fried's 1,156.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Max Fried, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.