Andy Messersmith 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). Andy Messersmith played 1968–1979 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
Andy Messersmith (1968–1979) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Andy Messersmith finished with 130 wins and 1,625 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? Neither — both are at 2.86.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Andy Messersmith's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Andy Messersmith's 1,625.
- Who had the better WHIP? Andy Messersmith, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Andy Messersmith's 2,230.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Andy Messersmith's 27.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Andy Messersmith, with 19,907 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Andy Messersmith
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 | Andy Messersmith | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 130 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 99 | 152 |
| Games | 344 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 295 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 98 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 27 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 15 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | 1,625 | Leads: 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 831 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,719 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 174 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,230.1 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | 2.86 | Leads: 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.14 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 6.56 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | 3.35 | Leads: 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Andy Messersmith edges Jim Palmer 19,907 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 1,659 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Andy Messersmith played 12 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).
Andy Messersmith — 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 Andy Messersmith owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Palmer. Note that PIV actually grades Andy Messersmith ahead, which means Jim Palmer's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Andy Messersmith and Jim Palmer careers compare
The careers of Andy Messersmith (1968–1979) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) overlapped from 1968 to 1979, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 344 games of Andy Messersmith with 558 of Jim Palmer across 12 and 19 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Andy Messersmith are saves (15 to 4), WHIP (1.14 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (6.56 to 5.04). The per-nine rows read 6.56 strikeouts and 3.35 walks for Andy Messersmith, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Andy Messersmith was mainly a starter (295 starts in 344 games), and Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games).
Andy Messersmith vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Andy Messersmith or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Andy Messersmith in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Neither — both are at 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Andy Messersmith's 130.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Andy Messersmith's 1,625.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Andy Messersmith, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.