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 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.

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[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.

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.
Bold Denotes an active player.[a]

List

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Clayton Kershaw, the active leader and 43rd all-time in career earned run average.
  • Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 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 2.257
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
36 Terry Larkin 2.435
37 Chief Bender* 2.455
38 Hooks Wiltse 2.471
39 Sam Leever 2.473
Lefty Leifield 2.473
41 Hippo Vaughn 2.486
42 Bob Ewing 2.492
43 Clayton Kershaw 2.500
44 Cy Morgan 2.509
45 Ray Collins 2.513
46 Jacob deGrom 2.522
47 Hoyt Wilhelm* 2.523
48 Lew Richie 2.536
49 Noodles Hahn 2.546
50 George Zettlein 2.547
Rank Player ERA
51 Frank Owen 2.552
52 Grover Cleveland Alexander* 2.560
53 Slim Sallee 2.564
54 Deacon Phillippe 2.586
55 Russ Ford 2.590
56 Frank Smith 2.592
57 Ed Siever 2.598
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
Bill Foster* 2.629
66 Barney Pelty 2.632
67 Claude Hendrix 2.649
68 Bullet Rogan* 2.652
69 Jack Taylor 2.653
70 Joe McGinnity 2.657
Dick Rudolph 2.657
72 Pete Schneider 2.663
73 Nick Altrock 2.669
Carl Weilman 2.669
75 Charlie Ferguson 2.674
76 Charles Radbourn* 2.678
77 Johnny Lush 2.680
78 Cy Falkenberg 2.682
79 Jack Chesbro* 2.684
80 Fred Toney 2.689
81 Bill Donovan 2.690
82 Satchel Paige* 2.697
83 Larry Cheney 2.698
84 Vean Gregg 2.701
85 Dick McBride 2.706
86 Mickey Welch* 2.712
87 Ned Garvin 2.718
88 Bob Wicker 2.726
89 Fred Goldsmith 2.729
90 Nick Cullop 2.733
91 Harry Howell 2.738
92 Whitey Ford* 2.745
93 Dummy Taylor 2.747
94 Howie Camnitz 2.749
Roy Patterson 2.749
96 Babe Adams 2.755
97 Dutch Leonard 2.759
98 Dan Quisenberry 2.760
99 Sandy Koufax* 2.761
100 Jeff Pfeffer 2.774

See also

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Notes

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

References

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  1. ^ "Ed Walsh Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  2. ^ Dziurgot, Stanley. "Ed Walsh Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "Addie Joss Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "Jim Devlin Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
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