List of Major League Baseball career ERA leaders explained

In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e., the traditional length of a game). It is calculated by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine. Runs resulting from defensive errors (including pitchers' defensive errors) are recorded as unearned runs and are not used to determine earned run average.

This is a list of the top 100 players in career earned run average, who have thrown at least 1,000 innings.

Ed Walsh[1] [2] holds the major league earned run average record at 1.816. Addie Joss[3] (1.887) and Jim Devlin[4] (1.896) are the only other pitchers with a career earned run average under 2.000.

Key

Rank Rank amongst leaders in career earned run average. A blank field indicates a tie.
Player Name of player.
ERA Total career earned run average.
Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
BoldDenotes an active player.[5]

List

RankPlayerERA
1Ed Walsh1.816
2Addie Joss1.887
3Jim Devlin1.896
4Jack Pfiester2.024
5Smoky Joe Wood2.033
6Mordecai Brown2.057
7John Montgomery Ward2.099
8Christy Mathewson2.133
Al Spalding2.133
10Tommy Bond2.138
11Rube Waddell2.161
12Walter Johnson2.167
13Mariano Rivera2.209
14Jake Weimer2.231
15Orval Overall2.257
16Will White2.276
17Babe Ruth2.277
18Ed Reulbach2.284
19Jim Scott2.298
20Reb Russell2.334
21Andy Coakley2.350
Eddie Plank2.350
23Larry Corcoran2.355
24Eddie Cicotte2.380
25George McQuillan2.381
26Ed Killian2.382
27Doc White2.391
28Harry Coveleski2.394
29Carl Lundgren2.417
30Nap Rucker2.421
31Candy Cummings2.424
32Jeff Tesreau2.428
33Joe Benz2.429
34Jim McCormick2.431
35George Bradley2.434
36Terry Larkin2.435
37Chief Bender2.455
38Hooks Wiltse2.471
39Sam Leever2.473
Lefty Leifield2.473
41Hippo Vaughn2.486
42Bob Ewing2.492
43Clayton Kershaw2.500
44Cy Morgan2.509
45Ray Collins2.513
46Jacob deGrom2.522
47Hoyt Wilhelm2.523
48Lew Richie2.536
49Noodles Hahn2.546
50George Zettlein2.547
RankPlayerERA
51Frank Owen2.552
52Grover Cleveland Alexander2.560
53Slim Sallee2.564
54Deacon Phillippe2.586
55Russ Ford2.590
56Frank Smith2.592
57Ed Siever2.598
58Bob Rhoads2.612
59Cherokee Fisher2.613
602.618
61Tim Keefe2.627
Cy Young2.627
63Vic Willis2.628
64Red Ames2.629
Bill Foster2.629
66Barney Pelty2.632
67Claude Hendrix2.649
68Bullet Rogan2.652
69Jack Taylor2.653
702.657
Dick Rudolph2.657
72Pete Schneider2.663
73Nick Altrock2.669
Carl Weilman2.669
75Charlie Ferguson2.674
76Charles Radbourn2.678
77Johnny Lush2.680
78Cy Falkenberg2.682
79Jack Chesbro2.684
80Fred Toney2.689
81Bill Donovan2.690
82Satchel Paige2.697
83Larry Cheney2.698
84Vean Gregg2.701
85Dick McBride2.706
86Mickey Welch2.712
87Ned Garvin2.718
88Bob Wicker2.726
89Fred Goldsmith2.729
90Nick Cullop2.733
91Harry Howell2.738
92Whitey Ford2.745
93Dummy Taylor2.747
94Howie Camnitz2.749
Roy Patterson2.749
96Babe Adams2.755
97Dutch Leonard2.759
98Dan Quisenberry2.760
99Sandy Koufax2.761
100Jeff Pfeffer2.774

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ed Walsh Career Stats. Baseball Reference. July 28, 2021.
  2. Web site: Ed Walsh Bio. Dziurgot. Stanley. Society For American Baseball Research. July 28, 2021.
  3. Web site: Addie Joss Career Stats. Baseball Reference. July 28, 2021.
  4. Web site: Jim Devlin Career Stats. Baseball Reference. July 28, 2021.
  5. A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of Major League Baseball career ERA leaders".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.