Jim Palmer vs Ed Walsh: Career Stats Comparison
Ed Walsh 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; Ed Walsh played 1904–1917 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 Ed Walsh (1904–1917) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1900s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Ed Walsh finished with 195 wins and 1,736 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP? Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Ed Walsh's 2,964.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Ed Walsh, with 57 to Jim Palmer's 53.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Ed Walsh, with 62,631 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Ed Walsh
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 1900s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Ed Walsh |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 195 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 126 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 430 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 315 |
| Complete Games | 211 | Leads: 250 |
| Shutouts | 53 | Leads: 57 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 35 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 1,736 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 617 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 2,346 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 23 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 2,964.1 |
| ERA | 2.86 | Leads: 1.82 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.00 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 5.27 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 1.87 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ed Walsh outpaces Jim Palmer 62,631 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 4,474 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Ed Walsh played 14 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)
Ed Walsh — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ed Walsh leads in ERA, WHIP, and K/9, while Jim Palmer owns wins, strikeouts, and innings pitched. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ed Walsh. PIV agrees: Ed Walsh 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 Ed Walsh careers compare
Ed Walsh (1904–1917) was finished before Jim Palmer (1965–1984) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 558 games against 430 across 19 and 14 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, 5.27 and 1.87 for Ed Walsh. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), and Ed Walsh was mainly a starter (315 starts in 430 games). In WHIP, Ed Walsh's 1.00 beats Jim Palmer's 1.18. On the peak-season lists, Jim Palmer's best year is 1972 at 2.07 ERA and Ed Walsh's is 1910 at 1.27 ERA; Ed Walsh has the stronger single season.
Jim Palmer vs Ed Walsh: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Ed Walsh?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ed Walsh leads Jim Palmer in 7 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.82 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Ed Walsh's 195.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Ed Walsh's 1,736.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Ed Walsh, with 1.00 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.