Jim Palmer vs Don Sutton: Career Stats Comparison
Don Sutton 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; Don Sutton played 1966–1988 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 Don Sutton (1966–1988) — both came up during the 1960s, so the matchup is a direct one. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Don Sutton finished with 324 wins and 3,574 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 Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Don Sutton, with 324 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Don Sutton, with 5,282.1 to Jim Palmer's 3,948.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Don Sutton, with 58 to Jim Palmer's 53.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Don Sutton, with 63,310 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Don Sutton
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 | Don Sutton |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 268 | Leads: 324 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 256 |
| Games | 558 | Leads: 774 |
| Games Started | 521 | Leads: 756 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 178 |
| Shutouts | 53 | Leads: 58 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 5 |
| Strikeouts | 2,212 | Leads: 3,574 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 1,343 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 4,692 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 472 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,948.0 | Leads: 5,282.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 6.09 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 2.29 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Don Sutton outpaces Jim Palmer 63,310 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,532 PIV per season to 1,026, across 25 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)
Don Sutton — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Don Sutton leads in wins, strikeouts, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Palmer owns ERA. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Don Sutton. PIV agrees: Don Sutton 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 Don Sutton careers compare
The careers of Jim Palmer (1965–1984) and Don Sutton (1966–1988) overlapped from 1966 to 1984, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 558 games for Jim Palmer and 774 for Don Sutton across 19 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Jim Palmer comes out ahead, it is in complete games (211 to 178) and ERA (2.86 to 3.26). The per-nine rows read 5.04 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Jim Palmer, 6.09 and 2.29 for Don Sutton.
Jim Palmer vs Don Sutton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Don Sutton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Don Sutton leads Jim Palmer in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Don Sutton's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Don Sutton, with 324 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Don Sutton, with 3,574 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Don Sutton, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.