Greg Maddux vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Greg Maddux has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Greg Maddux played 1986–2008 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
Greg Maddux (1986–2008) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Greg Maddux finished with 355 wins and 3,371 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 Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games? Greg Maddux, with 355 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Greg Maddux, with 5,008.1 to Jim Palmer's 3,948.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Greg Maddux's 35.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Greg Maddux, with 133,509 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Greg Maddux
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 | Greg Maddux | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 355 | 268 |
| Losses not scored | 227 | 152 |
| Games | Leads: 744 | 558 |
| Games Started | Leads: 740 | 521 |
| Complete Games | 109 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 35 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 3,371 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 999 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 4,726 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 353 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 5,008.1 | 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 3.16 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.06 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.80 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Greg Maddux outpaces Jim Palmer 133,509 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 5,340 PIV per season to 1,026, across 25 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).
Greg Maddux — 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, Greg Maddux 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 Greg Maddux. PIV agrees: Greg Maddux grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Greg Maddux and Jim Palmer careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jim Palmer's ended in 1984, and Greg Maddux debuted in 1986. The two careers are close in length, 744 games for Greg Maddux and 558 for Jim Palmer across 25 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jim Palmer comes out ahead, it is in complete games (211 to 109), shutouts (53 to 35), and saves (4 to 0). By rate, Greg Maddux struck out 6.06 and walked 1.80 per nine innings; Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99.
Greg Maddux vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Greg Maddux or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Greg Maddux leads Jim Palmer in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Greg Maddux's 3.16.
- Who won more games?
- Greg Maddux, with 355 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Greg Maddux, with 3,371 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Greg Maddux, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.