Jim Palmer vs Justin Verlander: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 7 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; Justin Verlander has played 2005–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 Justin Verlander (2005–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2000s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Justin Verlander has 266 wins and 3,560 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 Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Justin Verlander's 3,576.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Justin Verlander's 9.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Justin Verlander, with 68,171 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Justin Verlander
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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Justin Verlander is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Justin Verlander |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 266 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 159 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 557 |
| Games Started | 521 | Leads: 557 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 26 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 9 |
| Saves | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | 2,212 | Leads: 3,560 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 1,007 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 3,057 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 374 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 3,576.2 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.33 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.14 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 8.96 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 2.53 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Justin Verlander outpaces Jim Palmer 68,171 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,099 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)
Justin Verlander — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Justin Verlander 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 Justin Verlander. PIV agrees: Justin Verlander 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 Justin Verlander careers compare
No season is shared: Jim Palmer played 1965–1984, Justin Verlander 2005–present. The two careers are close in length, 558 games for Jim Palmer and 557 for Justin Verlander across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. By rate, Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99 per nine innings; Justin Verlander struck out 8.96 and walked 2.53. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), and Justin Verlander was mainly a starter (557 starts in 557 games). Complete games (211 to 26) show how differently the two eras used starters. Justin Verlander allowed fewer baserunners, a 1.14 WHIP to Jim Palmer's 1.18. Because Justin Verlander is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jim Palmer vs Justin Verlander: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Justin Verlander?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Justin Verlander in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Justin Verlander's 3.33.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Justin Verlander's 266.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Justin Verlander, with 3,560 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Justin Verlander, with 1.14 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.