Carl Hubbell vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Carl Hubbell played 1928–1943 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
Carl Hubbell (1928–1943) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1920s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Carl Hubbell finished with 253 wins and 1,677 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 Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP? Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Carl Hubbell's 3,590.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Carl Hubbell's 36.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Carl Hubbell, with 54,753 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Carl Hubbell
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 1920s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Carl Hubbell | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 253 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 154 | 152 |
| Games | 535 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 431 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 260 | 211 |
| Shutouts | 36 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 33 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | 1,677 | Leads: 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 725 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,461 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 227 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,590.1 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 2.98 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | 4.20 | Leads: 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Carl Hubbell outpaces Jim Palmer 54,753 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 3,422 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Carl Hubbell played 16 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).
Carl Hubbell — 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 K/9, while Carl Hubbell owns WHIP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Palmer. Note that PIV actually grades Carl Hubbell 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 Carl Hubbell and Jim Palmer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Carl Hubbell's ended in 1943, and Jim Palmer debuted in 1965. With 535 games against 558 across 16 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Carl Hubbell are complete games (260 to 211), saves (33 to 4), and WHIP (1.17 to 1.18). By rate, Carl Hubbell struck out 4.20 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99. Carl Hubbell was mainly a starter (431 starts in 535 games), and Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Carl Hubbell allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.17 WHIP to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
Carl Hubbell vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Carl Hubbell or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Carl Hubbell in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Carl Hubbell's 2.98.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Carl Hubbell's 253.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Carl Hubbell's 1,677.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Carl Hubbell, with 1.17 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.