Tommy John vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Tommy John has the better career line of the two, leading 6 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Tommy John played 1963–1989 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
Tommy John (1963–1989) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Tommy John finished with 288 wins and 2,245 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 Tommy John's 3.34.
- Who won more games? Tommy John, with 288 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Tommy John, with 2,245 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Tommy John's 1.28.
- Who pitched more innings? Tommy John, with 4,710.1 to Jim Palmer's 3,948.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Tommy John's 46.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tommy John, with 39,802 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Tommy John
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Tommy John | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 288 | 268 |
| Losses not scored | 231 | 152 |
| Games | Leads: 760 | 558 |
| Games Started | Leads: 700 | 521 |
| Complete Games | 162 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 46 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 4 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,245 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 1,259 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,783 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 302 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,710.1 | 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.34 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.28 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | 4.29 | Leads: 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.41 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tommy John outpaces Jim Palmer 39,802 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,422 PIV per season to 1,026, across 28 seasons to 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).
Tommy John — 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, Tommy John leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Jim Palmer owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Tommy John. PIV agrees: Tommy John grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Tommy John and Jim Palmer careers compare
The careers of Tommy John (1963–1989) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) overlapped from 1965 to 1984, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 760 games for Tommy John and 558 for Jim Palmer across 28 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 4.29 strikeouts and 2.41 walks for Tommy John, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Tommy John was mainly a starter (700 starts in 760 games), and Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). In WHIP, Jim Palmer's 1.18 beats Tommy John's 1.28.
Tommy John vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Tommy John or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Tommy John leads Jim Palmer in 6 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Tommy John's 3.34.
- Who won more games?
- Tommy John, with 288 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Tommy John, with 2,245 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Tommy John's 1.28.