Jim Palmer vs Blake Snell: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Blake Snell has played 2016–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 Blake Snell (2016–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Blake Snell has 85 wins and 1,495 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 Blake Snell's 3.10.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Blake Snell's 1.22.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Blake Snell's 1,200.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Blake Snell's 1.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Blake Snell, with 27,494 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Blake Snell
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Blake Snell is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Blake Snell |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 85 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 63 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 231 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 231 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 1 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 1 |
| Saves | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 1,495 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 922 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 111 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 1,200.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.10 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.22 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 11.21 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.99 | 4.03 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Blake Snell outpaces Jim Palmer 27,494 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 2,749 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Blake Snell played 10 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)
Blake Snell — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Palmer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Blake Snell owns 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 Blake Snell 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 Blake Snell careers compare
No season is shared: Jim Palmer played 1965–1984, Blake Snell 2016–present. The table compares 558 games of Jim Palmer with 231 of Blake Snell across 19 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Blake Snell's edges on the table are strikeouts per nine (11.21 to 5.04). The per-nine rows read 5.04 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Jim Palmer, 11.21 and 4.03 for Blake Snell. Both had the same role: Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games); Blake Snell was mainly a starter (231 starts in 231 games). Complete games (211 to 1) show how differently the two eras used starters. Because Blake Snell is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jim Palmer vs Blake Snell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Blake Snell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Blake Snell in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Blake Snell's 3.10.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Blake Snell's 85.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Blake Snell's 1,495.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Blake Snell's 1.22.