Jim Palmer vs Paul Skenes: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Paul Skenes has played 2024–present 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 Paul Skenes (2024–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2020s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Paul Skenes has 31 wins and 586 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP? Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Paul Skenes's 495.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Paul Skenes's 0.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Palmer, with 19,502 career Pitcher PIV to Paul Skenes's 14,331.
Jim Palmer
Paul Skenes
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 2020s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Paul Skenes is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Paul Skenes |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 31 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 24 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 87 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 87 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 0 |
| Saves | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 586 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 123 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 376 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 41 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 495.0 |
| ERA | 2.86 | Leads: 2.62 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 10.65 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 2.24 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Palmer outpaces Paul Skenes 19,502 to 14,331 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jim Palmer played 19 seasons to Paul Skenes's 2, while Paul Skenes carries the higher per-season figure (7,166 to 1,026). 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)
Paul Skenes — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Palmer leads in wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched, while Paul Skenes owns ERA, WHIP, and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Palmer. PIV agrees: Jim Palmer 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 Paul Skenes careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jim Palmer's ended in 1984, and Paul Skenes debuted in 2024. Jim Palmer has the far longer record, 558 games against 87 across 19 and 2 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Paul Skenes's edges on the table are ERA (2.62 to 2.86), WHIP (1.01 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (10.65 to 5.04). The per-nine rows read 5.04 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Jim Palmer, 10.65 and 2.24 for Paul Skenes. Both had the same role: Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games); Paul Skenes was mainly a starter (87 starts in 87 games). Because Paul Skenes is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jim Palmer vs Paul Skenes: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Paul Skenes?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Paul Skenes in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Paul Skenes, with 2.62 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Paul Skenes's 31.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Paul Skenes's 586.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Paul Skenes, with 1.01 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.