Jim Palmer vs Tarik Skubal: 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; Tarik Skubal has played 2020–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 Tarik Skubal (2020–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; Tarik Skubal has 66 wins and 1,075 strikeouts through October 12, 2026. 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 Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP? Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Tarik Skubal's 925.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Tarik Skubal's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Tarik Skubal, with 20,288 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Tarik Skubal
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.
Tarik Skubal is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Tarik Skubal |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 66 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 44 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 163 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 160 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 1,075 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 199 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 740 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 104 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 925.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.02 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.01 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 10.46 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Tarik Skubal edges Jim Palmer 20,288 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 3,381 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Tarik Skubal played 6 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)
Tarik Skubal — 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 Tarik Skubal 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 Tarik Skubal 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 Tarik Skubal careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Jim Palmer's ended in 1984, and Tarik Skubal debuted in 2020. Jim Palmer has the far longer record, 558 games against 163 across 19 and 6 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Tarik Skubal comes out ahead, it is in WHIP (1.01 to 1.18), strikeouts per nine (10.46 to 5.04), and walks per nine (1.94 to 2.99). By rate, Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99 per nine innings; Tarik Skubal struck out 10.46 and walked 1.94. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), and Tarik Skubal was mainly a starter (160 starts in 163 games). Because Tarik Skubal is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jim Palmer vs Tarik Skubal: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Tarik Skubal?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Tarik Skubal in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Tarik Skubal's 3.02.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Tarik Skubal's 66.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Tarik Skubal's 1,075.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Tarik Skubal, with 1.01 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.