Jim Palmer vs Johan Santana: 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). Jim Palmer played 1965–1984 as a pitcher; Johan Santana played 2000–2012 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 Johan Santana (2000–2012) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Johan Santana finished with 139 wins and 1,988 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 Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP? Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Johan Santana's 2,025.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Johan Santana's 10.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Johan Santana, with 48,732 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Johan Santana
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Johan Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 139 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 78 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 360 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 284 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 15 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 10 |
| Saves | Leads: 4 | 1 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 1,988 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 567 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 1,726 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 220 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 2,025.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.20 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 8.83 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 2.52 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Johan Santana outpaces Jim Palmer 48,732 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 4,061 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Johan Santana 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).
Jim Palmer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Johan Santana — 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 Johan Santana 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 Johan Santana 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 Johan Santana careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jim Palmer's ended in 1984, and Johan Santana debuted in 2000. Jim Palmer has the far longer record, 558 games against 360 across 19 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Johan Santana's edges on the table are WHIP (1.13 to 1.18), strikeouts per nine (8.83 to 5.04), and walks per nine (2.52 to 2.99). By rate, Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99 per nine innings; Johan Santana struck out 8.83 and walked 2.52. Both had the same role: Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games); Johan Santana was mainly a starter (284 starts in 360 games).
Jim Palmer vs Johan Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Johan Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Johan Santana in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Johan Santana's 3.20.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Johan Santana's 139.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Johan Santana's 1,988.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Johan Santana, with 1.13 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.