Jim Palmer vs Mario Soto: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Mario Soto played 1977–1988 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 Mario Soto (1977–1988) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1970s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Mario Soto finished with 100 wins and 1,449 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 Mario Soto's 3.47.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Mario Soto's 100.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Mario Soto's 1,449.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Mario Soto's 1.19.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Mario Soto's 1,730.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Mario Soto's 13.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Palmer, with 19,502 career Pitcher PIV to Mario Soto's 14,589.
Jim Palmer
Mario Soto
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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Mario Soto |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 100 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 92 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 297 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 224 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 72 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 13 |
| Saves | 4 | 4 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 1,449 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 657 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 1,395 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 172 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 1,730.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.47 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.19 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 7.54 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.99 | 3.42 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Palmer outpaces Mario Soto 19,502 to 14,589 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Jim Palmer played 19 seasons to Mario Soto's 12, while Mario Soto carries the higher per-season figure (1,216 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)
Mario Soto — 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 Mario Soto owns 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 Mario Soto careers compare
The careers of Jim Palmer (1965–1984) and Mario Soto (1977–1988) overlapped from 1977 to 1984, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The table compares 558 games of Jim Palmer with 297 of Mario Soto across 19 and 12 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Where Mario Soto comes out ahead, it is in strikeouts per nine (7.54 to 5.04). The per-nine rows read 5.04 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Jim Palmer, 7.54 and 3.42 for Mario Soto. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), and Mario Soto was mainly a starter (224 starts in 297 games).
Jim Palmer vs Mario Soto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Mario Soto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Mario Soto in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Mario Soto's 3.47.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Mario Soto's 100.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Mario Soto's 1,449.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Mario Soto's 1.19.