Dwight Gooden 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). Dwight Gooden played 1984–2000 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
Dwight Gooden (1984–2000) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Dwight Gooden finished with 194 wins and 2,293 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 Dwight Gooden's 3.51.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Dwight Gooden's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Dwight Gooden's 2,800.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Dwight Gooden's 24.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Dwight Gooden, with 55,535 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Dwight Gooden
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 1980s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Dwight Gooden | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 194 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 112 | 152 |
| Games | 430 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 410 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 68 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 24 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 3 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,293 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 954 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 2,564 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 210 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,800.2 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.51 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.26 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.37 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | 3.07 | Leads: 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Dwight Gooden outpaces Jim Palmer 55,535 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 3,085 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Dwight Gooden played 18 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).
Dwight Gooden — 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 Dwight Gooden 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 Dwight Gooden 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 Dwight Gooden and Jim Palmer careers compare
Dwight Gooden and Jim Palmer were active at the same time between 1984 and 1984. With 430 games against 558 across 18 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Dwight Gooden are strikeouts (2,293 to 2,212) and strikeouts per nine (7.37 to 5.04). The per-nine rows read 7.37 strikeouts and 3.07 walks for Dwight Gooden, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Dwight Gooden was mainly a starter (410 starts in 430 games), and Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Complete games (68 to 211) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Dwight Gooden vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Dwight Gooden or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Dwight Gooden in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Dwight Gooden's 3.51.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Dwight Gooden's 194.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Dwight Gooden, with 2,293 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Dwight Gooden's 1.26.