Jim Palmer vs Zack Wheeler: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Palmer has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Zack Wheeler has played 2013–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 Zack Wheeler (2013–present) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 2010s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Zack Wheeler has 127 wins and 2,013 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 Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games? Jim Palmer, with 268 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP? Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Jim Palmer, with 3,948.0 to Zack Wheeler's 1,890.1.
- Who threw more shutouts? Jim Palmer, with 53 to Zack Wheeler's 3.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Zack Wheeler, with 39,270 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Zack Wheeler
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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Zack Wheeler is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Zack Wheeler |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | Leads: 268 | 127 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 80 |
| Games | Leads: 558 | 311 |
| Games Started | Leads: 521 | 311 |
| Complete Games | Leads: 211 | 5 |
| Shutouts | Leads: 53 | 3 |
| Saves | Leads: 4 | 0 |
| Strikeouts | Leads: 2,212 | 2,013 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 537 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 1,598 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 187 |
| Innings Pitched | Leads: 3,948.0 | 1,890.1 |
| ERA | Leads: 2.86 | 3.26 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | 5.04 | Leads: 9.58 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 2.56 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Zack Wheeler outpaces Jim Palmer 39,270 to 19,502 — driven by per-season impact — 3,570 PIV per season to 1,026 — rather than by longevity, since Zack Wheeler played 11 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)
Zack Wheeler — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Palmer leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and innings pitched, while Zack Wheeler owns WHIP and K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Palmer. Note that PIV actually grades Zack Wheeler ahead, which means Jim Palmer's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jim Palmer and Zack Wheeler careers compare
No season is shared: Jim Palmer played 1965–1984, Zack Wheeler 2013–present. Jim Palmer has the far longer record, 558 games against 311 across 19 and 11 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Zack Wheeler's edges on the table are WHIP (1.13 to 1.18), strikeouts per nine (9.58 to 5.04), and walks per nine (2.56 to 2.99). The per-nine rows read 5.04 strikeouts and 2.99 walks for Jim Palmer, 9.58 and 2.56 for Zack Wheeler. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), and Zack Wheeler was mainly a starter (311 starts in 311 games). Complete games (211 to 5) show how differently the two eras used starters. Zack Wheeler's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Jim Palmer vs Zack Wheeler: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Zack Wheeler?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Palmer leads Zack Wheeler in 9 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Jim Palmer, with 2.86 to Zack Wheeler's 3.26.
- Who won more games?
- Jim Palmer, with 268 to Zack Wheeler's 127.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Jim Palmer, with 2,212 to Zack Wheeler's 2,013.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Zack Wheeler, with 1.13 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.