Juan Marichal vs Jim Palmer: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer 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). Juan Marichal played 1960–1975 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
Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Juan Marichal finished with 243 wins and 2,303 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 Juan Marichal's 2.89.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Juan Marichal's 3,507.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Juan Marichal's 52.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Juan Marichal, with 48,870 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Juan Marichal
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Juan Marichal | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 243 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 142 | 152 |
| Games | 471 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 457 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 244 | 211 |
| Shutouts | 52 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | 2 | Leads: 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,303 | 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 709 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,153 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 320 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,507.1 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 2.89 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.10 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.91 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 1.82 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Juan Marichal outpaces Jim Palmer 48,870 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 3,054 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Juan Marichal played 16 seasons to Jim Palmer's 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).
Juan Marichal — 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, Juan Marichal leads in strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Palmer owns wins, ERA, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Juan Marichal. PIV agrees: Juan Marichal grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Juan Marichal and Jim Palmer careers compare
The careers of Juan Marichal (1960–1975) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) overlapped from 1965 to 1975, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 471 games against 558 across 16 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. By rate, Juan Marichal struck out 5.91 and walked 1.82 per nine innings; Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99. Both had the same role: Juan Marichal was mainly a starter (457 starts in 471 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). In WHIP, Juan Marichal's 1.10 beats Jim Palmer's 1.18.
Juan Marichal vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Juan Marichal or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Juan Marichal in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Juan Marichal's 2.89.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Juan Marichal's 243.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Juan Marichal, with 2,303 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Juan Marichal, with 1.10 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.