Jim Palmer vs Steve Rogers: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Palmer played 1965–1984 as a pitcher; Steve Rogers played 1973–1985 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
Jim Palmer (1965–1984) and Steve Rogers (1973–1985) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Steve Rogers finished with 158 wins and 1,621 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 Steve Rogers's 3.17.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Steve Rogers's 158.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Steve Rogers's 1,621.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Steve Rogers's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Steve Rogers's 2,837.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Steve Rogers's 37.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Steve Rogers, with 44,265 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Steve Rogers
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 1960s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Steve Rogers |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 158 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 152 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 399 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 393 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 129 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 37 |
| Saves | Leads: 4 | 2 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 1,621 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 876 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 2,619 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 151 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 2,837.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.17 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.23 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 5.14 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 2.78 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Steve Rogers outpaces Jim Palmer 44,265 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 3,405 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Steve Rogers played 13 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).
Jim Palmer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Steve Rogers — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Palmer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Steve Rogers owns 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 Steve Rogers 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 Jim Palmer and Steve Rogers careers compare
From 1973 through 1984, Jim Palmer and Steve Rogers were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 558 games for Jim Palmer and 399 for Steve Rogers across 19 and 13 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Steve Rogers are strikeouts per nine (5.14 to 5.04) and walks per nine (2.78 to 2.99). The per-nine rows read 5.04 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Jim Palmer, 5.14 and 2.78 for Steve Rogers. Both had the same role: Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games); Steve Rogers was mainly a starter (393 starts in 399 games).
Jim Palmer vs Steve Rogers: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Steve Rogers?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Steve Rogers in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Steve Rogers's 3.17.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Steve Rogers's 158.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Steve Rogers's 1,621.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Steve Rogers's 1.23.