Loading

  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

List Of Major League Baseball Annual ERA Leaders
In baseball, earned run average (ERA) is a statistic used to evaluate pitchers, calculated as the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. A pitcher is men by a baserunner who reached base while batting against that pitcher, whether by hit, base on balls or "walk", or being hit by a pitched ball; an earned run can be charged after the pitcher is relieved if he allows the runner before leaving the game. Runs scored by players who reach base on errors, passed balls, or catcher interference under special circumstances are treated as unearned runs, and do not count towards the pitcher's ERA.

Major League Baseball recognizes the player in each league with the lowest earned run average each season. The first ERA champion in the National League was George Bradley; in the National League's inaugural 1876 season, Bradley posted a 1.23 ERA for the St. Louis Brown Stockings, allowing 78 earned runs in 573 innings pitched. The American League was established in 1901, and Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young led that league with a 1.62 ERA for the Boston Americans during the 1901 season.

Over the course of his 17-year major league career, Lefty Grove led the American League in ERA nine times, with a career single-season low of 2.06 for the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics. Roger Clemens has won the second-most ERA titles, capturing six in the American League and one in the National League. Sandy Koufax led the National League in ERA for five consecutive seasons (1962–1966); Koufax' five awards are the most won consecutively by any player and are tied for the most awards by a player in the National League with Christy Mathewson and Clayton Kershaw. In the American League, Walter Johnson also won five ERA titles, and Pedro Martínez has won a total of five (four American League and one National League) with two different teams.

The most recent ERA champions are Gerrit Cole in the American League and Blake Snell in the National League.

The lowest single-season ERA in league history was posted by Tim Keefe, whose 0.86 ERA in 105 innings pitched for the National League's Troy Trojans in 1880 led his closest competitor by .52 runs. In the American League, Dutch Leonard's 0.96 ERA is a single-season record. Keefe and Leonard are the only two pitchers ever to allow less than one run per nine innings pitched in a single season. The widest margin of victory for an ERA champion is 1.96 runs, achieved when Martínez' 1.74 ERA led Clemens' 3.70 in the American League during the 2000 season. The largest margin of victory in the National League is 1.26 runs—Dazzy Vance's 2.61 ERA over Carl Hubbell's 3.87 in 1930. The smallest margin of victory for an ERA champion is .009 runs. Although the statistic is traditionally recorded to two decimal places by most sources, the 1988 American League title was decided by a margin of less than one hundredth of a run when Allan Anderson's ERA of 2.446 (55 earned runs in 202+1⁄3 innings) bested Teddy Higuera's 2.455 mark (62 earned runs in 227+1⁄3 innings). Other contests decided by one hundredth or less include Luis Tiant's 1.91 ERA ahead of Gaylord Perry's 1.92 in 1972 and Mark Fidrych (2.34) over Vida Blue (2.35) in 1976.

Key

Year Links to the corresponding "year in baseball" or "Major League Baseball season" article
Leader Player with the lowest earned run average (ERA) in the league
Runner-up Player with the second-best ERA in the league
League Denoted only for players outside of the modern major leagues
† Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum

National League

A shoulders-up photograph of a dark-haired man with a thick mustache. He is wearing a dark suit with a dark-patterned tie.
Tommy Bond won the triple crown in 1877, leading the National League in wins, strikeouts, and ERA.
A dark-haired man wearing a black sweater and crownless baseball cap looks into the camera. His hair hangs down over his right side of his forehead, and he has a slight smirk on his face.
Christy Mathewson's career ERA of 2.13 is eighth on the all-time list; he led the National League in ERA five times during his career.
A man in a baseball cap and V-neck buttoned sweater looks to the left of the image. His sweater and his hat both display the letter "P" in block type, and he holds a baseball bat over his shoulder with both hands.
Grover Cleveland Alexander won the National League ERA title four times with two different teams (the Philadelphia Phillies and the Chicago Cubs).
Two images spliced together: both images feature the same man in a white baseball uniform and dark baseball cap following through after throwing a baseball. The left uniform has a dark collar and strip down the center of the shirt with "CUBS" over the left breast, and the right uniform features a dark pointed and elongated "C" with the silhouette of a bear inside it.
Mordecai "Three-Finger" Brown led the league in ERA in 1906 and finished second three times.
A seated man in a white baseball cap and white baseball uniform shown from the chest up. He is looking to the left of the image. He has a small mustache, and his jersey reads "NEW YORK" in dark block type, partially obscured by a short tie worn around his neck under the collar of his jersey.
Amos Rusie led the National League in ERA in 1894 and 1897, and finished second to Ted Breitenstein in 1893.
A smiling man in a white baseball jersey and dark baseball cap with an interlocked white "LA" on the front.
Sandy Koufax' five consecutive seasons leading the National League in ERA is an NL record.
A man in a white baseball uniform with navy blue trim and a navy blue baseball cap throws a baseball from a dirt mound in a stadium with his right hand. His uniform reads "Padres" across the chest in navy blue script trimmed with khaki, and his cap features an interlocked "SD" in white block print. He is wearing a black baseball glove on his left hand.
Jake Peavy's 2007 ERA of 2.54 led all National League pitchers.
A man in a white baseball uniform and a blue baseball cap throws a baseball from a dirt mound on a grass field. He is throwing with his left hand, and there is a black baseball glove on his right hand.
Johan Santana won the ERA title in his first National League season after eight years with the Minnesota Twins.
A man in a gray baseball uniform with red trim and navy baseball cap follows through after throwing a baseball from a dirt mound on a grass field with his right hand. His cap has an interlocked "StL" on the front in red type trimmed with white, and he has a black baseball glove on his left hand.
Chris Carpenter had the lowest ERA in the National League in 2009.
Clayton Kershaw is the first pitcher in history to lead MLB in ERA for 4 consecutive years (2011–2014).
Year Leader ERA Team Runner-up ERA Ref
1876 George Bradley 1.23 St. Louis Brown Stockings Jim Devlin 1.56
1877 Tommy Bond 2.11 Boston Red Caps Terry Larkin 2.14
1878 John Montgomery Ward 1.51 Providence Grays Jim McCormick 1.69
1879 Tommy Bond 1.96 Boston Red Caps Will White 1.99
1880 Tim Keefe 0.86 Troy Trojans George Bradley 1.38
1881 Stump Weidman 1.80 Detroit Wolverines John Montgomery Ward 2.13
1882 Larry Corcoran 1.95 Chicago White Stockings Charles Radbourn 2.09
1883 Jim McCormick 1.84 Cleveland Blues Charles Radbourn 2.05
1884 Charles Radbourn 1.38 Providence Grays Charlie Sweeney 1.55
1885 Tim Keefe 1.58 New York Giants Mickey Welch 1.66
1886 Henry Boyle 1.76 St. Louis Maroons Charlie Ferguson 1.96
1887 Dan Casey 2.86 Philadelphia Phillies Pete Conway 2.90
1888 Tim Keefe 1.74 New York Giants Ben Sanders 1.90
1889 John Clarkson 2.73 Boston Beaneaters Jersey Bakley 2.96
1890 Billy Rhines 1.95 Cincinnati Reds Kid Nichols 2.23
1891 John Ewing 2.27 New York Giants Kid Nichols 2.39
1892 Cy Young 1.93 Cleveland Spiders Tim Keefe 2.36
1893 Ted Breitenstein 3.18 St. Louis Browns Amos Rusie 3.23
1894 Amos Rusie 2.78 New York Giants Jouett Meekin 3.70
1895 Al Maul 2.45 Washington Senators Pink Hawley 3.18
1896 Billy Rhines 2.45 Cincinnati Reds Kid Nichols 2.83
1897 Amos Rusie 2.54 New York Giants Kid Nichols 2.64
1898 Clark Griffith 1.88 Chicago Orphans Al Maul 2.10
1899 Vic Willis 2.50 Boston Beaneaters Cy Young 2.58
1900 Rube Waddell 2.37 Pittsburgh Pirates Ned Garvin 2.41
1901 Jesse Tannehill 2.18 Pittsburgh Pirates Deacon Phillippe 2.22
1902 Jack Taylor 1.33 Chicago Orphans Noodles Hahn 1.77
1903 Sam Leever 2.06 Pittsburgh Pirates Christy Mathewson 2.26
1904 Joe McGinnity 1.61 New York Giants Ned Garvin 1.68
1905 Christy Mathewson 1.28 New York Giants Ed Reulbach 1.42
1906 Mordecai Brown 1.04 Chicago Cubs Jack Pfiester 1.51
1907 Jack Pfiester 1.15 Chicago Cubs Carl Lundgren 1.17
1908 Christy Mathewson 1.43 New York Giants Mordecai Brown 1.47
1909 Christy Mathewson 1.14 New York Giants Mordecai Brown 1.31
1910 King Cole 1.80 Chicago Cubs Mordecai Brown 1.86
1911 Christy Mathewson 1.99 New York Giants Lew Richie 2.31
1912 Jeff Tesreau 1.96 New York Giants Christy Mathewson 2.12
1913 Christy Mathewson 2.06 New York Giants Babe Adams 2.15
1914 Bill Doak 1.72 St. Louis Cardinals Bill James 1.90
1915 Grover Cleveland Alexander 1.22 Philadelphia Phillies Fred Toney 1.58
1916 Grover Cleveland Alexander 1.55 Philadelphia Phillies Rube Marquard 1.58
1917 Fred Anderson 1.44 New York Giants Grover Cleveland Alexander 1.83
1918 Hippo Vaughn 1.74 Chicago Cubs Lefty Tyler 2.00
1919 Grover Cleveland Alexander 1.72 Chicago Cubs Hippo Vaughn 1.79
1920 Grover Cleveland Alexander 1.91 Chicago Cubs Babe Adams 2.16
1921 Bill Doak 2.59 St. Louis Cardinals Babe Adams 2.64
1922 Phil Douglas 2.63 New York Giants Rosy Ryan 3.01
1923 Dolf Luque 1.93 Cincinnati Reds Eppa Rixey 2.80
1924 Dazzy Vance 2.16 Brooklyn Robins Hugh McQuillan 2.69
1925 Dolf Luque 2.63 Cincinnati Reds Eppa Rixey 2.88
1926 Ray Kremer 2.61 Pittsburgh Pirates Charlie Root 2.82
1927 Ray Kremer 2.47 Pittsburgh Pirates Grover Cleveland Alexander 2.52
1928 Dazzy Vance 2.09 Brooklyn Robins Sheriff Blake 2.47
1929 Bill Walker 3.09 New York Giants Burleigh Grimes 3.13
1930 Dazzy Vance 2.61 Brooklyn Robins Carl Hubbell 3.87
1931 Bill Walker 2.26 New York Giants Carl Hubbell 2.65
1932 Lon Warneke 2.37 Chicago Cubs Carl Hubbell 2.50
1933 Carl Hubbell 1.66 New York Giants Lon Warneke 2.00
1934 Carl Hubbell 2.30 New York Giants Dizzy Dean 2.66
1935 Cy Blanton 2.58 Pittsburgh Pirates Bill Swift 2.70
1936 Carl Hubbell 2.31 New York Giants Danny MacFayden 2.87
1937 Jim Turner 2.38 Boston Bees Cliff Melton 2.61
1938 Bill Lee 2.66 Chicago Cubs Charlie Root 2.86
1939 Bucky Walters 2.29 Cincinnati Reds Bob Bowman 2.60
1940 Bucky Walters 2.48 Cincinnati Reds Claude Passeau 2.50
1941 Elmer Riddle 2.24 Cincinnati Reds Whit Wyatt 2.34
1942 Mort Cooper 1.78 St. Louis Cardinals Johnny Beazley 2.13
1943 Max Lanier 1.90 St. Louis Cardinals Mort Cooper 2.30
1944 Ed Heusser 2.38 Cincinnati Reds Bucky Walters 2.40
1945 Ray Prim 2.40 Chicago Cubs Claude Passeau 2.46
1946 Howie Pollet 2.10 St. Louis Cardinals Johnny Sain 2.21
1947 Warren Spahn 2.33 Boston Braves Ewell Blackwell 2.47
1948 Harry Brecheen 2.24 St. Louis Cardinals Dutch Leonard 2.51
1949 Dave Koslo 2.50 New York Giants Jerry Staley 2.73
1950 Sal Maglie 2.71 New York Giants Ewell Blackwell 2.97
1951 Chet Nichols Jr. 2.88 Boston Braves Sal Maglie 2.93
1952 Hoyt Wilhelm 2.43 New York Giants Warren Hacker 2.58
1953 Warren Spahn 2.10 Milwaukee Braves Robin Roberts 2.75
1954 Johnny Antonelli 2.30 New York Giants Lew Burdette 2.76
1955 Bob Friend 2.83 Pittsburgh Pirates Don Newcombe 3.20
1956 Lew Burdette 2.70 Milwaukee Braves Warren Spahn 2.78
1957 Johnny Podres 2.66 Brooklyn Dodgers Don Drysdale 2.69
1958 Stu Miller 2.47 San Francisco Giants Sam Jones 2.88
1959 Sam Jones 2.83 San Francisco Giants Stu Miller 2.84
1960 Mike McCormick 2.70 San Francisco Giants Ernie Broglio 2.74
1961 Warren Spahn 3.02 Milwaukee Braves Jim O'Toole 3.10
1962 Sandy Koufax 2.54 Los Angeles Dodgers Bob Shaw 2.80
1963 Sandy Koufax 1.88 Los Angeles Dodgers Dick Ellsworth 2.11
1964 Sandy Koufax 1.74 Los Angeles Dodgers Don Drysdale 2.18
1965 Sandy Koufax 2.04 Los Angeles Dodgers Juan Marichal 2.13
1966 Sandy Koufax 1.73 Los Angeles Dodgers Mike Cuellar 2.22
1967 Phil Niekro 1.87 Atlanta Braves Jim Bunning 2.29
1968 Bob Gibson 1.12 St. Louis Cardinals Bobby Bolin 1.99
1969 Juan Marichal 2.10 San Francisco Giants Steve Carlton 2.17
1970 Tom Seaver 2.82 New York Mets Wayne Simpson 3.02
1971 Tom Seaver 1.76 New York Mets Dave Roberts 2.10
1972 Steve Carlton 1.97 Philadelphia Phillies Gary Nolan 1.99
1973 Tom Seaver 2.08 New York Mets Don Sutton 2.42
1974 Buzz Capra 2.28 Atlanta Braves Phil Niekro 2.38
1975 Randy Jones 2.24 San Diego Padres Andy Messersmith 2.29
1976 John Denny 2.52 St. Louis Cardinals Doug Rau 2.57
1977 John Candelaria 2.34 Pittsburgh Pirates Tom Seaver 2.58
1978 Craig Swan 2.43 New York Mets Steve Rogers 2.47
1979 J. R. Richard 2.71 Houston Astros Tom Hume 2.76
1980 Don Sutton 2.20 Los Angeles Dodgers Steve Carlton 2.34
1981 Nolan Ryan 1.69 Houston Astros Bob Knepper 2.18
1982 Steve Rogers 2.40 Montreal Expos Joe Niekro 2.47
1983 Atlee Hammaker 2.25 San Francisco Giants John Denny 2.37
1984 Alejandro Peña 2.48 Los Angeles Dodgers Dwight Gooden 2.60
1985 Dwight Gooden 1.53 New York Mets John Tudor 1.93
1986 Mike Scott 2.22 Houston Astros Bob Ojeda 2.57
1987 Nolan Ryan 2.76 Houston Astros Mike Dunne 3.03
1988 Joe Magrane 2.18 St. Louis Cardinals David Cone 2.22
1989 Scott Garrelts 2.28 San Francisco Giants Orel Hershiser 2.31
1990 Danny Darwin 2.21 Houston Astros Zane Smith 2.55
1991 Dennis Martínez 2.39 Montreal Expos José Rijo 2.51
1992 Bill Swift 2.08 San Francisco Giants Bob Tewksbury 2.16
1993 Greg Maddux 2.36 Atlanta Braves José Rijo 2.48
1994 Greg Maddux 1.56 Atlanta Braves Bret Saberhagen 2.74
1995 Greg Maddux 1.63 Atlanta Braves Hideo Nomo 2.54
1996 Kevin Brown 1.89 Florida Marlins Greg Maddux 2.72
1997 Pedro Martínez 1.90 Montreal Expos Greg Maddux 2.20
1998 Greg Maddux 2.22 Atlanta Braves Kevin Brown 2.38
1999 Randy Johnson 2.48 Arizona Diamondbacks Kevin Millwood 2.68
2000 Kevin Brown 2.58 Los Angeles Dodgers Randy Johnson 2.64
2001 Randy Johnson 2.49 Arizona Diamondbacks Curt Schilling 2.98
2002 Randy Johnson 2.32 Arizona Diamondbacks Greg Maddux 2.62
2003 Jason Schmidt 2.34 San Francisco Giants Kevin Brown 2.39
2004 Jake Peavy 2.27 San Diego Padres Randy Johnson 2.60
2005 Roger Clemens 1.87 Houston Astros Andy Pettitte 2.39
2006 Roy Oswalt 2.98 Houston Astros Chris Carpenter 3.09
2007 Jake Peavy 2.54 San Diego Padres Brandon Webb 3.01
2008 Johan Santana 2.53 New York Mets Tim Lincecum 2.62
2009 Chris Carpenter 2.24 St. Louis Cardinals Tim Lincecum 2.48
2010 Josh Johnson 2.30 Florida Marlins Adam Wainwright 2.42
2011 Clayton Kershaw 2.28 Los Angeles Dodgers Roy Halladay 2.35
2012 Clayton Kershaw 2.53 Los Angeles Dodgers R. A. Dickey 2.73
2013 Clayton Kershaw 1.83 Los Angeles Dodgers José Fernández 2.19
2014 Clayton Kershaw 1.77 Los Angeles Dodgers Johnny Cueto 2.25
2015 Zack Greinke 1.66 Los Angeles Dodgers Jake Arrieta 1.77
2016 Kyle Hendricks 2.13 Chicago Cubs Jon Lester 2.44
2017 Clayton Kershaw 2.31 Los Angeles Dodgers Max Scherzer 2.51
2018 Jacob deGrom 1.70 New York Mets Aaron Nola 2.37
2019 Hyun-jin Ryu 2.32 Los Angeles Dodgers Jacob deGrom 2.43
2020 Trevor Bauer 1.73 Cincinnati Reds Yu Darvish 2.01
2021 Corbin Burnes 2.43 Milwaukee Brewers Max Scherzer 2.46
2022 Julio Urías 2.16 Los Angeles Dodgers Sandy Alcántara 2.28
2023 Blake Snell 2.25 San Diego Padres Kodai Senga 2.98