List of Major League Baseball career ERA leaders

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 determined 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 ERA.

Ed Walsh, the career leader in 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 holds the MLB earned run average record with a 1.816. Addie Joss (1.887) and Jim Devlin (1.896) are the only other pitchers with a career earned run average under 2.000.

Key

RankRank amongst leaders in career earned run average. A blank field indicates a tie.
PlayerName of player.
ERATotal career earned run average.
* denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bold denotes active player.[lower-alpha 1]

List

Clayton Kershaw, the active leader and tied for 35th all-time in career earned run average.
  • Stats updated as of the 2020 season
Rank Player ERA
1 Ed Walsh * 1.816
2 Addie Joss * 1.887
3 Jim Devlin 1.896
4 Jack Pfiester 2.024
5 Smoky Joe Wood 2.033
6 Mordecai Brown * 2.057
7 John Montgomery Ward * 2.099
8 Christy Mathewson * 2.133
Al Spalding * 2.133
10 Tommy Bond 2.138
11 Rube Waddell * 2.161
12 Walter Johnson * 2.167
13 Mariano Rivera * 2.209
14 Jake Weimer 2.231
15 Orval Overall 2.233
16 Will White 2.276
17 Babe Ruth * 2.277
18 Ed Reulbach 2.284
19 Jim Scott 2.298
20 Reb Russell 2.334
21 Andy Coakley 2.350
Eddie Plank * 2.350
23 Larry Corcoran 2.355
24 Eddie Cicotte 2.380
25 George McQuillan 2.381
26 Ed Killian 2.382
27 Doc White 2.391
28 Harry Coveleski 2.394
29 Carl Lundgren 2.417
30 Nap Rucker 2.421
31 Candy Cummings * 2.424
32 Jeff Tesreau 2.428
33 Joe Benz 2.429
34 Jim McCormick 2.431
35 George Bradley 2.434
Clayton Kershaw 2.434
37 Terry Larkin 2.435
38 Chief Bender * 2.455
39 Hooks Wiltse 2.471
40 Sam Leever 2.473
Lefty Leifield 2.473
42 Hippo Vaughn 2.486
43 Bob Ewing 2.492
44 Cy Morgan 2.509
45 Ray Collins 2.513
46 Hoyt Wilhelm * 2.523
47 Lew Richie 2.536
48 Noodles Hahn 2.546
49 George Zettlein 2.547
50 Frank Owen 2.552
Rank Player ERA
51 Grover Cleveland Alexander * 2.560
52 Slim Sallee 2.564
53 Deacon Phillippe 2.586
54 Russ Ford 2.590
55 Frank Smith 2.593
56 Ed Siever 2.598
57 Jacob deGrom 2.608
58 Bob Rhoads 2.612
59 Cherokee Fisher 2.613
60 Fred Glade 2.618
61 Tim Keefe * 2.627
Cy Young * 2.627
63 Vic Willis * 2.628
64 Red Ames 2.629
65 Barney Pelty 2.632
66 Claude Hendrix 2.649
67 Jack Taylor 2.653
68 Joe McGinnity 2.657
Dick Rudolph 2.657
70 Pete Schneider 2.663
71 Nick Altrock 2.669
Carl Weilman 2.669
73 Charlie Ferguson 2.674
74 Charles Radbourn * 2.678
75 Johnny Lush 2.680
76 Cy Falkenberg 2.682
77 Jack Chesbro * 2.684
78 Fred Toney 2.689
79 Bill Donovan 2.690
80 Larry Cheney 2.698
81 Vean Gregg 2.701
82 Dick McBride 2.706
83 Mickey Welch * 2.712
84 Ned Garvin 2.718
85 Bob Wicker 2.726
86 Fred Goldsmith 2.729
87 Nick Cullop 2.733
88 Harry Howell 2.738
89 Whitey Ford * 2.745
90 Dummy Taylor 2.747
91 Howie Camnitz 2.749
Roy Patterson 2.749
93 Babe Adams 2.755
94 Dutch Leonard 2.759
95 Dan Quisenberry 2.759
96 Sandy Koufax * 2.761
97 Jeff Pfeffer 2.774
98 Al Demaree 2.775
Earl Moore 2.775
100 Jack Coombs 2.781

See also

Notes

  1. A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.

References

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