Bob Gibson 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). Bob Gibson played 1959–1975 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
Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Bob Gibson finished with 251 wins and 3,117 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 Bob Gibson's 2.91.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Bob Gibson's 3,884.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Bob Gibson, with 56 to Jim Palmer's 53.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Bob Gibson, with 69,720 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Bob Gibson
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 | Bob Gibson | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 251 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 174 | 152 |
| Games | 528 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 482 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 255 | 211 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 56 | 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 6 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,117 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 1,336 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,279 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 257 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,884.1 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 2.91 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.19 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.22 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | 3.10 | Leads: 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Bob Gibson outpaces Jim Palmer 69,720 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 4,101 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Bob Gibson played 17 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).
Bob Gibson — 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, ERA, WHIP, and innings pitched, while Bob Gibson owns strikeouts 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 Bob Gibson 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 Bob Gibson and Jim Palmer careers compare
The careers of Bob Gibson (1959–1975) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) overlapped from 1965 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 528 games for Bob Gibson and 558 for Jim Palmer across 17 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 7.22 strikeouts and 3.10 walks for Bob Gibson, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Both had the same role: Bob Gibson was mainly a starter (482 starts in 528 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). In WHIP, Jim Palmer's 1.18 beats Bob Gibson's 1.19.
Bob Gibson vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bob Gibson or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Bob Gibson in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Bob Gibson's 2.91.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Bob Gibson's 251.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Bob Gibson, with 3,117 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Bob Gibson's 1.19.