Jim Palmer vs Cy Young: Career Stats Comparison
Cy Young has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Cy Young played 1890–1911 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 Cy Young (1890–1911) — breaking in during the 1960s and the 1890s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Jim Palmer finished with 268 wins and 2,212 strikeouts; Cy Young finished with 511 wins and 2,803 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Cy Young, with 2.63 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games? Cy Young, with 511 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Cy Young, with 2,803 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP? Cy Young, with 1.13 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.
- Who pitched more innings? Cy Young, with 7,356.0 to Jim Palmer's 3,948.0.
- Who threw more shutouts? Cy Young, with 76 to Jim Palmer's 53.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Cy Young, with 141,398 career Pitcher PIV to Jim Palmer's 19,502.
Jim Palmer
Cy Young
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 1890s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jim Palmer | Cy Young |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 268 | Leads: 511 |
| Losses not scored | 152 | 315 |
| Games | 558 | Leads: 906 |
| Games Started | 521 | Leads: 815 |
| Complete Games | 211 | Leads: 749 |
| Shutouts | 53 | Leads: 76 |
| Saves | 4 | Leads: 18 |
| Strikeouts | 2,212 | Leads: 2,803 |
| Walks not scored | 1,311 | 1,217 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 3,349 | 7,092 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 303 | 138 |
| Innings Pitched | 3,948.0 | Leads: 7,356.0 |
| ERA | 2.86 | Leads: 2.63 |
| WHIP | 1.18 | Leads: 1.13 |
| K/9 | Leads: 5.04 | 3.43 |
| BB/9 | 2.99 | Leads: 1.49 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Cy Young outpaces Jim Palmer 141,398 to 19,502 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 6,148 PIV per season to 1,026, across 23 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)
Cy Young — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Cy Young leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Jim Palmer owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Cy Young. PIV agrees: Cy Young 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 Cy Young careers compare
Cy Young (1890–1911) was finished before Jim Palmer (1965–1984) arrived, so they never shared a league. The table compares 558 games of Jim Palmer with 906 of Cy Young across 19 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Jim Palmer are strikeouts per nine (5.04 to 3.43). By rate, Jim Palmer struck out 5.04 and walked 2.99 per nine innings; Cy Young struck out 3.43 and walked 1.49. Jim Palmer was mainly a starter (521 starts in 558 games), and Cy Young was mainly a starter (815 starts in 906 games). The complete-game row, 211 against 749, reflects how much longer starters once stayed in games.
Jim Palmer vs Cy Young: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jim Palmer or Cy Young?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Cy Young leads Jim Palmer in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Cy Young, with 2.63 to Jim Palmer's 2.86.
- Who won more games?
- Cy Young, with 511 to Jim Palmer's 268.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Cy Young, with 2,803 to Jim Palmer's 2,212.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Cy Young, with 1.13 to Jim Palmer's 1.18.