George Kirby vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). George Kirby has played 2022–present 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
George Kirby (2022–present) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 2020s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. George Kirby has 54 wins and 769 strikeouts through October 12, 2026; 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 George Kirby's 3.74.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to George Kirby's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to George Kirby's 769.
- Who had the better WHIP? George Kirby, with 1.17 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to George Kirby's 812.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to George Kirby's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Palmer, with 19,502 career Pitcher PIV to George Kirby's 14,778.
George Kirby
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 2020s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
George Kirby is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | George Kirby | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 54 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 45 | 152 |
| Games | 142 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 142 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 2 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 0 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | 769 | Leads: 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 140 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 813 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 94 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 812.1 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.74 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.17 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 8.52 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.55 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Palmer leads George Kirby 19,502 to 14,778 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jim Palmer played 19 seasons to George Kirby's 4, while George Kirby carries the higher per-season figure (3,695 to 1,026). 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).
George Kirby — 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 innings pitched, while George Kirby owns WHIP and K/9. 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 George Kirby and Jim Palmer careers compare
No season is shared: Jim Palmer played 1965–1984, George Kirby 2022–present. Jim Palmer has the far longer record, 558 games against 142 across 4 and 19 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for George Kirby are WHIP (1.17 to 1.18), strikeouts per nine (8.52 to 5.04), and walks per nine (1.55 to 2.99). The per-nine rows read 8.52 strikeouts and 1.55 walks for George Kirby, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Both had the same role: George Kirby was mainly a starter (142 starts in 142 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Complete games (2 to 211) show how differently the two eras used starters. George Kirby's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
George Kirby vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Kirby or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads George Kirby in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to George Kirby's 3.74.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to George Kirby's 54.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to George Kirby's 769.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- George Kirby, with 1.17 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.