Jim Palmer vs Hilton Smith: 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; Hilton Smith played ?–1948 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 Hilton Smith (?–1948) — they pitched in different contexts, so adjusted stats matter. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Hilton Smith finished with 71 wins and 628 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 Hilton Smith's 2.93.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP? Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Hilton Smith's 975.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Hilton Smith's 8.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Hilton Smith, with 37,558 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Hilton Smith
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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Hilton Smith |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 71 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 38 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 170 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 104 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 63 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 8 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 16 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 628 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 198 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 883 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 19 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 975.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 2.93 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.11 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 5.79 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 1.83 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hilton Smith outpaces Jim Palmer 37,558 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 2,504 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Hilton Smith played 15 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)
Hilton Smith — top 1 season by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Palmer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Hilton Smith 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 Hilton Smith 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 Hilton Smith careers compare
Hilton Smith (?–1948) was finished before Jim Palmer (1965–1984) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Jim Palmer appeared in 558 games to Hilton Smith's 170. Where Hilton Smith comes out ahead, it is in saves (16 to 4), WHIP (1.11 to 1.18), and strikeouts per nine (5.79 to 5.04). By rate, Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99 per nine innings; Hilton Smith struck out 5.79 and walked 1.83. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), while Hilton Smith split time between starting and relief (104 starts in 170 games).
Jim Palmer vs Hilton Smith: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Hilton Smith?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Hilton Smith in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Hilton Smith's 2.93.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Hilton Smith's 71.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Hilton Smith's 628.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Hilton Smith, with 1.11 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.