Jim Palmer vs Bob Welch: 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; Bob Welch played 1978–1994 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 Bob Welch (1978–1994) — 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; Bob Welch finished with 211 wins and 1,969 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 Bob Welch's 3.47.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Bob Welch's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Bob Welch's 1,969.
- Who had the better WHIP? Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Bob Welch's 1.27.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Bob Welch's 3,092.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Bob Welch's 28.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Jim Palmer, with 19,502 career Pitcher PIV to Bob Welch's 15,932.
Jim Palmer
Bob Welch
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 | Bob Welch |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 211 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 146 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 506 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 462 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 61 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 28 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 8 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 1,969 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 1,034 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 2,894 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 267 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 3,092.0 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.47 |
| WHIP | Leads: 1.18 | 1.27 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 5.73 |
| BB/9 | Leads: 2.99 | 3.01 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Palmer leads Bob Welch 19,502 to 15,932 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,026 PIV per season to 937, across 19 seasons to 17. 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)
Bob Welch — 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 Bob Welch 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 Bob Welch careers compare
From 1978 through 1984, Jim Palmer and Bob Welch were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 558 games for Jim Palmer and 506 for Bob Welch across 19 and 17 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bob Welch's edges on the table are saves (8 to 4) and strikeouts per nine (5.73 to 5.04). The per-nine rows read 5.04 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Jim Palmer, 5.73 and 3.01 for Bob Welch. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), and Bob Welch was mainly a starter (462 starts in 506 games).
Jim Palmer vs Bob Welch: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Bob Welch?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Bob Welch in 10 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Bob Welch's 3.47.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Bob Welch's 211.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Bob Welch's 1,969.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Jim Palmer, with 1.18 to Bob Welch's 1.27.