Jim Palmer vs John Smoltz: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer and John Smoltz 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; John Smoltz played 1988–2009 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 John Smoltz (1988–2009) — 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; John Smoltz finished with 213 wins and 3,084 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 John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Neither — both are at 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to John Smoltz's 3,473.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to John Smoltz's 16.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? John Smoltz, with 91,907 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
John Smoltz
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 | John Smoltz |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 213 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 155 |
| Games | 558 | Leads: 723 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 481 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 53 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 16 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 154 |
| Strikeouts | 2,212 | Leads: 3,084 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 1,010 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 3,074 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 288 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 3,473.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 7.99 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 2.62 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), John Smoltz outpaces Jim Palmer 91,907 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,178 PIV per season to 1,026, across 22 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)
John Smoltz — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, John Smoltz 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 John Smoltz. PIV agrees: John Smoltz 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 John Smoltz careers compare
Jim Palmer (1965–1984) was finished before John Smoltz (1988–2009) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 558 games against 723 across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The per-nine rows read 5.04 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Jim Palmer, 7.99 and 2.62 for John Smoltz. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), while John Smoltz split time between starting and relief (481 starts in 723 games). Complete games (211 to 53) show how differently the two eras used starters. In WHIP, John Smoltz's 1.18 beats Jim Palmer's 1.18.
Jim Palmer vs John Smoltz: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to John Smoltz's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to John Smoltz's 213.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- John Smoltz, with 3,084 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Neither — both are at 1.18.