David Palmer
Pitcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records (1978-1989)
David Palmer was a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1989 for 4 teams, including the Montreal Expos, a span of 12 seasons. Across 212 career appearances, he went 64-59 with a 3.78 ERA and 748 strikeouts. He also batted .149 with 5 home runs. His career Pitcher PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of pitching impact — is 9941.4.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- 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
- Position
- Pitcher
- Bats / Throws
- R / R
- Height / Weight
- 6'1" / 195 lb
- MLB Debut
- 1978-09-09
- Last Game
- 1989-06-30
Full name: David William Palmer
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | MON | NL | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.2 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2.79 | 3.69 (+24%) | 0.0 |
| 1979 | MON | NL | 10 | 2 | 36 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 122.2 | 110 | 36 | 30 | 72 | 2.64 | 4.00 (+34%) | 1890.8 |
| 1980 | MON | NL | 8 | 6 | 24 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 129.2 | 124 | 43 | 30 | 73 | 2.98 | 3.84 (+22%) | 1238.8 |
| 1982 | MON | NL | 6 | 4 | 13 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 73.2 | 60 | 26 | 36 | 46 | 3.18 | 3.86 (+18%) | 595.1 |
| 1984 | MON | NL | 7 | 3 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 105.1 | 101 | 45 | 44 | 66 | 3.84 | 3.81 (-1%) | 1145.3 |
| 1985 | MON | NL | 7 | 10 | 24 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 135.2 | 128 | 56 | 67 | 106 | 3.71 | 3.89 (+5%) | 2596.6 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | 11 | 10 | 35 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 209.2 | 181 | 85 | 102 | 170 | 3.65 | 3.97 (+8%) | 1301.6 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | 8 | 11 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 152.1 | 169 | 83 | 64 | 111 | 4.90 | 4.29 (-14%) | 120.9 |
| 1988 | PHI | NL | 7 | 9 | 22 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 129.0 | 129 | 64 | 48 | 85 | 4.47 | 3.73 (-20%) | 1191.8 |
| 1989 | DET | AL | 0 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17.1 | 25 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 7.79 | 3.71 (-110%) | -139.4 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 64 | 59 | 212 | 176 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1,085.0 | 1,036 | 456 | 434 | 748 | 3.78 | — | 9,941 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 213 | 323 | 22 | 48 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 95 | .149 | .162 | .232 | .394 | -382 |
Career AVG .149 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 42.7% below league average.
Career OBP .162 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 50.2% below league average.
Career SLG .232 vs. league average .389 across their career seasons — 40.3% below league average.
Career OPS .394 vs. league average .714 across their career seasons — 44.8% below league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | MON | NL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1979 | MON | NL | 36 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | .032 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1980 | MON | NL | 25 | 45 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 15 | .200 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1982 | MON | NL | 13 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .042 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1984 | MON | NL | 20 | 33 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | .152 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1985 | MON | NL | 24 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | .111 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | 35 | 66 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 17 | .182 | .257 (-29%) | .325 (-40%) | .395 (-31%) | .720 (-35%) | -382.3 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | 28 | 48 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | .125 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1988 | PHI | NL | 22 | 39 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | .256 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1989 | DET | AL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 10 seasons | 213 | 323 | 22 | 48 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 95 | .149 | — | — | — | — | -382 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (425 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 101 | 148 | 9 | 18 | 1 | 10 | .122 |
| Away | 112 | 175 | 13 | 30 | 4 | 13 | .171 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 101 | 542.2 | 490 | 206 | 200 | 380 | 3.42 |
| Away | 111 | 542.1 | 546 | 250 | 234 | 368 | 4.15 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-06-30 | DET | BAL | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-06-25 | DET | SEA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-06-18 | DET | LAA | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-06-13 | DET | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-06-05 | DET | BOS | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-08-30 | PHI | SFG | W | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-08-24 | PHI | SDP | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1988-08-19 | PHI | SFG | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1988-08-12 | PHI | PIT | W | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988-08-07 | PHI | CHC | W | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Last 10 Games — Pitching
| Date | Tm | Opp | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-06-30 | DET | BAL | — | 2.2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1989-06-25 | DET | SEA | L | 5.0 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1989-06-18 | DET | LAA | L | 3.2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1989-06-13 | DET | BOS | — | 1.1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989-06-05 | DET | BOS | L | 4.2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| 1988-08-30 | PHI | SFG | — | 6.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1988-08-24 | PHI | SDP | L | 3.1 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 1988-08-19 | PHI | SFG | — | 6.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| 1988-08-12 | PHI | PIT | — | 6.0 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1988-08-07 | PHI | CHC | W | 6.0 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | MON | P | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 1979 | MON | P | 36 | 11 | 7 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| 1980 | MON | P | 24 | 19 | 9 | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| 1982 | MON | P | 13 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| 1984 | MON | P | 20 | 19 | 20 | 13 | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 | MON | P | 24 | 23 | 17 | 21 | 1 | 3 |
| 1986 | ATL | P | 35 | 35 | 18 | 33 | 0 | 3 |
| 1987 | ATL | P | 28 | 28 | 9 | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| 1988 | PHI | P | 22 | 22 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 2 |
| 1989 | DET | P | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 212 |
Salary History
David Palmer's recorded salaries total $2,165,000 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Palmer's career ran from 1978 to 1989. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1989.
| Year | Team | League | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | PHI | NL | $675,000 |
| 1987 | ATL | NL | $725,000 |
| 1986 | ATL | NL | $390,000 |
| 1985 | MON | NL | $375,000 |
| Total recorded salary (partial) | $2,165,000 | ||
Most Similar Players
Career comps based on counting + rate stats and primary position. Score is relative — closest peer anchors at ~98%.
David Palmer (highlighted) compared to peers across the same era.
David Palmer: the record in brief
Between the debut on September 9, 1978 and the final game on June 30, 1989, David Palmer built the record summarized on this page. Club by club, the record runs the Montreal Expos (1978 to 1985), the Atlanta Braves (1986 to 1987), the Philadelphia Phillies (1988), and the Detroit Tigers (1989). The bio lists Palmer as a pitcher who threw and hit right-handed. Height and weight on file: 6'1" and 195 pounds. Palmer was born on October 19, 1957, in Glens Falls, NY, USA. On the record, David Palmer was born David William Palmer.
Across 212 games (176 starts), Palmer recorded 64 wins against 59 losses with a 3.78 ERA. Palmer had 748 strikeouts and 10 complete games. Palmer's 3.78 ERA was close to the 3.88 league figure for those seasons. No season topped the 11 wins of 1986. In 1980, one of the busiest seasons, Palmer posted a 2.98 ERA; the league figure that year was 3.84. Pitcher PIV, the site's era-adjusted run-prevention measure, totals 9,941.4 for Palmer's career.
Frequently Asked Questions about David Palmer
- What years did David Palmer play?
- David Palmer played in Major League Baseball from 1978 to 1989.
- Was David Palmer a pitcher?
- Yes. David Palmer pitched in the major leagues, recording 64 wins and 748 strikeouts.
- How many home runs did David Palmer hit?
- David Palmer hit 5 career home runs with 48 hits.
- What teams did David Palmer play for?
- David Palmer played for 4 teams: the Montreal Expos (1978–1980, 1982, 1984–1985), the Atlanta Braves (1986–1987), the Philadelphia Phillies (1988), and the Detroit Tigers (1989).
- What were David Palmer's career stats?
- In 212 games, David Palmer went 64-59 with a 3.78 ERA, 748 strikeouts, 1,085.0 innings pitched, and 2 saves. At the plate he had 48 hits and 5 home runs.
- How much did David Palmer earn in his career?
- David Palmer's recorded salaries total $2,165,000 over 4 seasons, 1985 to 1988. This total is partial: the salary data covers 1985 to 2016, and Palmer's career ran from 1978 to 1989. His seasons before 1985 are not included, and no salary is recorded for 1989.
- What was David Palmer's salary?
- David Palmer's last recorded salary was $675,000, in 1988. His highest recorded salary was $725,000, in 1987, and his lowest was $375,000, in 1985. The Salary History table lists each season from 1985 to 1988.
- What position did David Palmer play?
- David Palmer played primarily as a pitcher, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was David Palmer and how much did he weigh?
- David Palmer was listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 195 pounds.
- What was David Palmer's career ERA?
- David Palmer finished with a 3.78 career ERA, going 64-59 with 748 strikeouts.
- How many strikeouts did David Palmer have?
- David Palmer recorded 748 career strikeouts.
- Is David Palmer in the Hall of Fame?
- No. David Palmer has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.