Satchel Paige 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). Satchel Paige played 1948–1965 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
Satchel Paige (1948–1965) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) — breaking in during the 1940s and the 1960s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Satchel Paige finished with 143 wins and 1,695 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? Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Satchel Paige's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Satchel Paige's 1,695.
- Who had the better WHIP? Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Satchel Paige's 1,962.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Satchel Paige's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Satchel Paige, with 77,694 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Satchel Paige
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 1940s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Satchel Paige | Jim Palmer |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 143 | Leads: 268 |
| Losses not scored | 89 | 152 |
| Games | 438 | Leads: 558 |
| Games Started | 226 | Leads: 521 |
| Complete Games | 116 | Leads: 211 |
| Shutouts | 28 | Leads: 53 |
| Saves | Leads: 47 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | 1,695 | Leads: 2,212 |
| Walks not scored | 533 | 1,311 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,647 | 3,349 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 66 | 303 |
| Innings Pitched | 1,962.2 | Leads: 3,948.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.77 | 2.86 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.11 | 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.77 | 5.04 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.44 | 2.99 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Satchel Paige outpaces Jim Palmer 77,694 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,775 PIV per season to 1,026, across 28 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).
Satchel Paige — 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, Satchel Paige leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Palmer owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Satchel Paige. PIV agrees: Satchel Paige grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Satchel Paige and Jim Palmer careers compare
The careers of Satchel Paige (1948–1965) and Jim Palmer (1965–1984) overlapped from 1965 to 1965, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 438 games for Satchel Paige and 558 for Jim Palmer across 28 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The per-nine rows read 7.77 strikeouts and 2.44 walks for Satchel Paige, 5.04 and 2.99 for Jim Palmer. Their roles differ: Satchel Paige split time between starting and relief (226 starts in 438 games); Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games). Satchel Paige allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.11 WHIP to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
Satchel Paige vs Jim Palmer: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Satchel Paige or Jim Palmer?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Satchel Paige in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Satchel Paige, with 2.77 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Satchel Paige's 143.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Satchel Paige's 1,695.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Satchel Paige, with 1.11 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.