Walter Johnson vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Walter Johnson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Walter Johnson played 1907–1927 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
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1900s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Walter Johnson finished with 417 wins and 3,509 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? Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Walter Johnson, with 417 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Walter Johnson, with 5,914.2 to Jim Palmer's 3,948.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Walter Johnson, with 110 to Jim Palmer's 53.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Walter Johnson, with 124,021 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Walter 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 1900s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Walter Johnson | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 417 | 268 |
| Losses not scored | 279 | 152 |
| Games | Leads: 802 | 558 |
| Games Started | Leads: 666 | 521 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 531 | 211 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 110 | 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 34 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,509 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 1,363 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,913 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 97 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,914.2 | 3,948.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.17 | 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.06 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.34 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.07 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Walter Johnson outpaces Jim Palmer 124,021 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,906 PIV per season to 1,026, across 21 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).
Walter 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, Walter Johnson leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jim Palmer owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Walter Johnson. PIV agrees: Walter Johnson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Walter Johnson and Jim Palmer careers compare
Walter Johnson (1907–1927) was finished before Jim Palmer (1965–1984) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 802 games against 558 across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Walter Johnson leads every scored row of the table. The per-nine rows read 5.34 strikeouts and 2.07 walks for Walter Johnson, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Both had the same role: Walter Johnson was mainly a starter (666 starts in 802 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Walter Johnson allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.06 WHIP to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
Walter Johnson vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Walter Johnson or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Walter Johnson leads Jim Palmer in 12 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Walter Johnson, with 2.17 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Walter Johnson, with 417 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Walter Johnson, with 3,509 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Walter Johnson, with 1.06 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.