Randy Johnson vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Randy Johnson 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). Randy Johnson played 1988–2009 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
Randy Johnson (1988–2009) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Randy Johnson finished with 303 wins and 4,875 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 Randy Johnson's 3.29.
- Who won more games? Randy Johnson, with 303 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Randy Johnson, with 1.17 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Randy Johnson, with 4,135.1 to Jim Palmer's 3,948.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Randy Johnson's 37.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Randy Johnson, with 122,530 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Randy Johnson
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 | Randy Johnson | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 303 | 268 |
| Losses not scored | 166 | 152 |
| Games | Leads: 618 | 558 |
| Games Started | Leads: 603 | 521 |
| Complete Games | 100 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 37 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 4,875 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 1,497 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,346 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 411 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 4,135.1 | 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.29 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 10.61 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | 3.26 | Leads: 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Randy Johnson outpaces Jim Palmer 122,530 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,105 PIV per season to 1,026, across 24 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).
Randy Johnson — 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, Randy Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Palmer owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Randy Johnson. PIV agrees: Randy Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Randy Johnson and Jim Palmer careers compare
Jim Palmer (1965–1984) was finished before Randy Johnson (1988–2009) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 618 games for Randy Johnson and 558 for Jim Palmer across 24 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 10.61 strikeouts and 3.26 walks for Randy Johnson, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Both had the same role: Randy Johnson was mainly a starter (603 starts in 618 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Randy Johnson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.17 WHIP to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
Randy Johnson vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Randy Johnson or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Randy Johnson leads Jim Palmer in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Randy Johnson's 3.29.
- Who won more games?
- Randy Johnson, with 303 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Randy Johnson, with 4,875 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Randy Johnson, with 1.17 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.