Randy Jones vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Randy Jones played 1973–1982 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 Jones (1973–1982) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Randy Jones finished with 100 wins and 735 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 Jones's 3.42.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Randy Jones's 100.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Randy Jones's 735.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Randy Jones's 1.25.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Randy Jones's 1,933.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Randy Jones's 19.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Palmer, with 19,502 career Pitcher PIV to Randy Jones's 9,804.
Randy Jones
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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Randy Jones | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 100 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 123 | 152 |
| Games | 305 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 285 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 73 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 19 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | 735 | Leads: 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 503 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,915 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 129 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,933.0 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.42 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | 1.25 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | 3.42 | Leads: 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.34 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Palmer outpaces Randy Jones 19,502 to 9,804 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,026 PIV per season to 980, across 19 seasons to 10. 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 Jones — 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 WHIP, while Randy Jones owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Palmer. PIV agrees: Jim Palmer grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Randy Jones and Jim Palmer careers compare
The careers of Randy Jones (1973–1982) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) overlapped from 1973 to 1982, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Jim Palmer has the far longer record, 558 games against 305 across 10 and 19 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Randy Jones's edges on the table are walks per nine (2.34 to 2.99). By rate, Randy Jones struck out 3.42 and walked 2.34 per nine innings; Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99. Randy Jones was mainly a starter (285 starts in 305 games), and Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games).
Randy Jones vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Randy Jones or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Randy Jones in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Randy Jones's 3.42.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Randy Jones's 100.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Randy Jones's 735.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Randy Jones's 1.25.