Lefty Gomez vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Lefty Gomez played 1930–1943 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
Lefty Gomez (1930–1943) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1930s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Lefty Gomez finished with 189 wins and 1,468 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 Lefty Gomez's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Lefty Gomez's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Lefty Gomez's 1,468.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Lefty Gomez's 2,503.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Lefty Gomez's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Palmer, with 19,502 career Pitcher PIV to Lefty Gomez's 15,583.
Lefty Gomez
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 1930s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lefty Gomez | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 189 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 102 | 152 |
| Games | 368 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 320 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 173 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 28 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 9 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | 1,468 | Leads: 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 1,095 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,290 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 138 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,503.0 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.35 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.28 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | 3.94 | Leads: 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Palmer leads Lefty Gomez 19,502 to 15,583 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jim Palmer played 19 seasons to Lefty Gomez's 14, while Lefty Gomez carries the higher per-season figure (1,113 to 1,026). 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).
Lefty Gomez — 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 WHIP, while Lefty Gomez owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Palmer. PIV agrees: Jim Palmer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lefty Gomez and Jim Palmer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Lefty Gomez's ended in 1943, and Jim Palmer debuted in 1965. The table compares 368 games of Lefty Gomez with 558 of Jim Palmer across 14 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Lefty Gomez comes out ahead, it is in saves (9 to 4) and strikeouts per nine (5.28 to 5.04). The per-nine rows read 5.28 strikeouts and 3.94 walks for Lefty Gomez, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Lefty Gomez was mainly a starter (320 starts in 368 games), and Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Jim Palmer allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.18 WHIP to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.
Lefty Gomez vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lefty Gomez or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Lefty Gomez in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Lefty Gomez's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Lefty Gomez's 189.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Lefty Gomez's 1,468.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Lefty Gomez's 1.35.