Jim Palmer vs Curt Schilling: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer and Curt Schilling are close to even, splitting the 12 scored categories on this page 6–6 (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Jim Palmer played 1965–1984 as a pitcher; Curt Schilling played 1988–2007 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 Curt Schilling (1988–2007) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1980s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Curt Schilling finished with 216 wins and 3,116 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 Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Curt Schilling's 216.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Curt Schilling's 3,261.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Curt Schilling's 20.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Curt Schilling, with 98,246 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Curt Schilling
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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Curt Schilling |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 216 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 146 |
| Games | 558 | Leads: 569 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 436 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 83 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 20 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 22 |
| Strikeouts | 2,212 | Leads: 3,116 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 711 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 2,998 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 347 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 3,261.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.46 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 8.60 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 1.96 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Curt Schilling outpaces Jim Palmer 98,246 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,678 PIV per season to 1,026, across 21 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).
Jim Palmer — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Curt Schilling — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Curt Schilling 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 Curt Schilling. PIV agrees: Curt Schilling grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Palmer and Curt Schilling careers compare
Jim Palmer (1965–1984) was finished before Curt Schilling (1988–2007) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 558 games for Jim Palmer and 569 for Curt Schilling across 19 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99 per nine innings; Curt Schilling struck out 8.60 and walked 1.96. Both had the same role: Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games); Curt Schilling was mainly a starter (436 starts in 569 games). Curt Schilling allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
Jim Palmer vs Curt Schilling: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Curt Schilling's 3.46.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Curt Schilling's 216.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Curt Schilling, with 3,116 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Curt Schilling, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.