Jim Palmer
Palmer threw with the precision of a surgeon and the durability of a draft horse, becoming the only pitcher to win World Series games in three different decades. His 2.86 career ERA across nearly 4,000 innings tells the story of sustained excellence, but the real marvel was his peak dominance — three Cy Young awards between 1973-1976 when his ERA+ averaged 154.
The 1972 season showcased Palmer at his apex, posting a 2.07 ERA that was 57 percent better than league average. He combined pinpoint control with devastating stuff, striking out 2,212 batters while building the foundation of Baltimore's championship teams. Those four Gold Gloves weren't honorary — Palmer was as complete a pitcher as the game has seen.
What separated Palmer from his contemporaries wasn't just talent but longevity. While other aces broke down, he kept taking the ball every fifth day for two decades, proof that sometimes the best ability is availability.
Career · Hitting
19 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | BAL | 29 | 26 | 1 | 3 | .192 | .530 | — |
| 1966 | BAL | 36 | 73 | 1 | 5 | .096 | .282 | — |
| 1967 | BAL | 9 | 13 | 0 | 1 | .077 | .354 | — |
| 1969 | BAL | 27 | 64 | 0 | 6 | .203 | .485 | — |
| 1970 | BAL | 44 | 113 | 1 | 9 | .150 | .342 | 48 |
| 1971 | BAL | 38 | 102 | 0 | 9 | .196 | .425 | 62 |
| 1972 | BAL | 36 | 98 | 0 | 8 | .224 | .516 | 78 |
| 1973 | BAL | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1974 | BAL | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1975 | BAL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1976 | BAL | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1977 | BAL | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1978 | BAL | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1979 | BAL | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1980 | BAL | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1981 | BAL | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1982 | BAL | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1983 | BAL | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| 1984 | BAL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | 576 | 489 | 3 | 41 | .174 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
19 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | BAL | 27 | 92.0 | 5 | 4 | 3.72 | 94 | 75 | 1.424 |
| 1966 | BAL | 30 | 208.3 | 15 | 10 | 3.46 | 102 | 147 | 1.282 |
| 1967 | BAL | 9 | 49.0 | 3 | 1 | 2.94 | 112 | 23 | 1.102 |
| 1969 | BAL | 26 | 181.0 | 16 | 4 | 2.34 | 154 | 123 | 1.077 |
| 1970 | BAL | 39 | 305.0 | 20 | 10 | 2.71 | 143 | 199 | 1.190 |
| 1971 | BAL | 37 | 282.0 | 20 | 9 | 2.68 | 129 | 184 | 1.195 |
| 1972 | BAL | 36 | 274.3 | 21 | 10 | 2.07 | 157 | 184 | 1.053 |
| 1973 | BAL | 38 | 296.3 | 22 | 9 | 2.40 | 156 | 158 | 1.141 |
| 1974 | BAL | 26 | 178.7 | 7 | 12 | 3.27 | 111 | 84 | 1.371 |
| 1975 | BAL | 39 | 323.0 | 23 | 11 | 2.09 | 177 | 193 | 1.031 |
| 1976 | BAL | 40 | 315.0 | 22 | 13 | 2.51 | 140 | 159 | 1.076 |
| 1977 | BAL | 39 | 319.0 | 20 | 11 | 2.91 | 137 | 193 | 1.135 |
| 1978 | BAL | 38 | 296.0 | 21 | 12 | 2.46 | 150 | 138 | 1.159 |
| 1979 | BAL | 23 | 155.7 | 10 | 6 | 3.30 | 121 | 67 | 1.201 |
| 1980 | BAL | 34 | 224.0 | 16 | 10 | 3.98 | 96 | 109 | 1.393 |
| 1981 | BAL | 22 | 127.3 | 7 | 8 | 3.75 | 95 | 35 | 1.280 |
| 1982 | BAL | 36 | 227.0 | 15 | 5 | 3.13 | 123 | 103 | 1.137 |
| 1983 | BAL | 14 | 76.7 | 5 | 4 | 4.23 | 91 | 34 | 1.370 |
| 1984 | BAL | 5 | 17.7 | 0 | 3 | 9.17 | 42 | 4 | 2.208 |
| Career | 558 | 3948.0 | 268 | 152 | — | — | 2212 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.