Jose Acosta vs. Jim Palmer — Career Comparison

Jim Palmer built a career as a starting pitcher and Jose Acosta as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Jim Palmer posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 2.86 and WHIP 1.190 compared to 4.51 and 1.561 for Jose Acosta. By the career numbers, Jim Palmer had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.