List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders


In baseball, earned run average 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 assessed an earned run for each run scored 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 ; 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 with two different teams.
The most recent ERA champions are Gerrit Cole in the American League and Hyun-jin Ryu 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 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 bested Teddy Higuera's 2.455 mark. 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 over Vida Blue in 1976.

Key

National League

YearLeaderERATeamRunner-upERARef
1.23St. Louis Brown Stockings1.56
2.11Boston Red Caps2.14
†1.51Providence Grays1.69
1.96Boston Red Caps1.99
†0.86Troy Trojans1.38
1.80Detroit Wolverines†2.13
1.95Chicago White Stockings†2.09
1.84Cleveland Blues†2.05
†1.38Providence Grays1.55
†1.58New York Giants†1.66
1.76St. Louis Maroons1.96
2.86Philadelphia Phillies2.90
†1.74New York Giants1.90
†2.73Boston Beaneaters2.96
1.95Cincinnati Reds†2.23
2.27New York Giants†2.39
†1.93Cleveland Spiders†2.36
3.18St. Louis Browns†3.23
†2.78New York Giants3.70
2.45Washington Senators3.18
2.45Cincinnati Reds†2.83
†2.54New York Giants†2.64
†1.88Chicago Orphans2.10
†2.50Boston Beaneaters†2.58
†2.37Pittsburgh Pirates2.41
2.18Pittsburgh Pirates2.22
1.33Chicago Orphans1.77
2.06Pittsburgh Pirates†2.26
†1.61New York Giants1.68
†1.28New York Giants1.42
†1.04Chicago Cubs1.51
1.15Chicago Cubs1.17
†1.43New York Giants†1.47
†1.14New York Giants†1.31
1.80Chicago Cubs†1.86
†1.99New York Giants2.31
1.96New York Giants†2.12
†2.06New York Giants2.15
1.72St. Louis Cardinals1.90
†1.22Philadelphia Phillies1.58
†1.55Philadelphia Phillies†1.58
1.44New York Giants†1.83
1.74Chicago Cubs2.00
†1.72Chicago Cubs1.79
†1.91Chicago Cubs2.16
2.59St. Louis Cardinals2.64
2.63St. Louis Cardinals3.01
1.93Cincinnati Reds†2.80
†2.16Brooklyn Robins2.69
2.63Cincinnati Reds†2.88
2.61Pittsburgh Pirates2.82
2.47Pittsburgh Pirates†2.52
†2.09Brooklyn Robins2.47
3.09New York Giants†3.13
†2.61Brooklyn Robins†3.87
2.26New York Giants†2.65
2.37Chicago Cubs†2.50
†1.66New York Giants2.00
†2.30New York Giants†2.66
2.58Pittsburgh Pirates2.70
†2.31New York Giants2.87
2.38Boston Bees2.61
2.66Chicago Cubs2.86
2.29Cincinnati Reds2.60
2.48Cincinnati Reds2.50
2.24Cincinnati Reds2.34
1.78St. Louis Cardinals2.13
1.90St. Louis Cardinals2.30
2.38Cincinnati Reds2.40
2.40Chicago Cubs2.46
2.10St. Louis Cardinals2.21
†2.33Boston Braves2.47
2.24St. Louis Cardinals2.51
2.50New York Giants2.73
2.71New York Giants2.97
2.88Boston Braves2.93
†2.43New York Giants2.58
†2.10Milwaukee Braves†2.75
2.30New York Giants2.76
2.83Pittsburgh Pirates3.20
2.70Milwaukee Braves†2.78
2.66Brooklyn Dodgers†2.69
2.47San Francisco Giants2.88
2.83San Francisco Giants2.84
2.70San Francisco Giants2.74
†3.02Milwaukee Braves3.10
†2.54Los Angeles Dodgers2.80
†1.88Los Angeles Dodgers2.11
†1.74Los Angeles Dodgers†2.18
†2.04Los Angeles Dodgers†2.13
†1.73Los Angeles Dodgers2.22
†1.87Atlanta Braves†2.29
†1.12St. Louis Cardinals1.99
†2.10San Francisco Giants†2.17
†2.82New York Mets3.02
†1.76New York Mets2.10
†1.97Philadelphia Phillies1.99
†2.08New York Mets†2.42
2.28Atlanta Braves†2.38
2.24San Diego Padres2.29
2.52St. Louis Cardinals2.57
2.34Pittsburgh Pirates†2.58
2.43New York Mets2.47
2.71Houston Astros2.76
†2.20Los Angeles Dodgers†2.34
†1.69Houston Astros2.18
2.40Montreal Expos2.47
2.25San Francisco Giants2.37
2.48Los Angeles Dodgers2.60
1.53New York Mets1.93
2.22Houston Astros2.57
†2.76Houston Astros3.03
2.18St. Louis Cardinals2.22
2.28San Francisco Giants2.31
2.21Houston Astros2.55
2.39Montreal Expos2.51
2.08San Francisco Giants2.16
†2.36Atlanta Braves2.48
†1.56Atlanta Braves2.74
†1.63Atlanta Braves2.54
1.89Florida Marlins†2.72
†1.90Montreal Expos†2.20
†2.22Atlanta Braves2.38
†2.48Arizona Diamondbacks2.68
2.58Los Angeles Dodgers†2.64
†2.49Arizona Diamondbacks2.98
†2.32Arizona Diamondbacks†2.62
2.34San Francisco Giants2.39
2.27San Diego Padres†2.60
1.87Houston Astros2.39
2.98Houston Astros3.09
2.54San Diego Padres3.01
2.53New York Mets2.62
2.24St. Louis Cardinals2.48
2.30Florida Marlins2.42
2.28Los Angeles Dodgers†2.35
2.53Los Angeles Dodgers2.73
1.83Los Angeles Dodgers2.19
1.77Los Angeles Dodgers2.25
1.66Los Angeles Dodgers1.77
2.13Chicago Cubs2.44
2.31Los Angeles Dodgers2.51
1.70New York Mets2.37
2.32Los Angeles Dodgers2.43

American League

YearLeaderERATeamRunner-upERARef
†1.62Boston Americans2.42
1.91Detroit Tigers†2.05
1.74Cleveland Naps†2.08
†1.59Cleveland Naps†1.62
†1.48Philadelphia Athletics1.76
1.52Chicago White Sox1.59
†1.60Chicago White Sox1.78
†1.16Cleveland Naps†1.26
1.39Philadelphia Athletics†1.41
†1.27Chicago White Sox1.30
1.80Cleveland Naps†1.90
†1.39Washington Senators1.91
†1.14Washington Senators1.58
0.96Boston Red Sox1.70
1.49Boston Red Sox†1.55
†1.75Boston Red Sox1.78
1.53Chicago White Sox1.74
†1.27Washington Senators†1.82
†1.49Washington Senators1.82
2.45New York Yankees†2.49
†2.48Chicago White Sox3.00
†2.81Chicago White Sox2.85
†2.76Washington Senators†3.02
†2.72Washington Senators2.75
†2.84Washington Senators†2.96
†2.51Philadelphia Athletics2.83
2.28New York Yankees†2.63
2.51Washington Senators†2.56
†2.81Philadelphia Athletics3.06
†2.54Philadelphia Athletics3.31
†2.06Philadelphia Athletics†2.67
†2.84Philadelphia Athletics†3.09
2.95Cleveland Indians3.09
†2.33New York Yankees2.61
†2.70Boston Red Sox†3.02
†2.81Boston Red Sox3.44
†2.33New York Yankees2.40
†3.08Boston Red Sox†3.31
†2.54Boston Red Sox†2.76
†2.61Cleveland Indians2.83
2.37Chicago White Sox2.97
†2.10Chicago White Sox2.27
1.64New York Yankees2.27
2.12Detroit Tigers†2.22
†1.81Detroit Tigers2.02
†1.94Detroit Tigers2.10
2.42Chicago White Sox†2.68
2.43Cleveland Indians2.82
2.36Cleveland Indians2.77
†3.20Cleveland Indians3.39
2.78Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers		2.91
2.06New York Yankees2.37
2.42New York Yankees2.72
2.64Cleveland Indians2.69
1.97Chicago White Sox†2.63
†2.47New York Yankees2.53
2.45New York Yankees2.54
†2.01New York Yankees2.68
†2.19Baltimore Orioles2.64
2.67Chicago White Sox†2.79
2.40Washington Senators2.68
2.21Detroit Tigers†2.78
2.33Chicago White Sox2.39
1.65Los Angeles Angels1.88
2.18Cleveland Indians2.40
1.98Chicago White Sox2.43
2.06Chicago White Sox2.28
1.60Cleveland Indians1.81
2.19Washington Senators†2.34
2.56Oakland Athletics†2.71
1.82Oakland Athletics1.91
1.91Boston Red Sox†1.92
†2.40Baltimore Orioles†2.52
†2.49Oakland Athletics†2.51
†2.09Baltimore Orioles†2.58
2.34Detroit Tigers2.35
2.54California Angels†2.72
1.74New York Yankees2.27
2.78New York Yankees2.96
2.46New York Yankees2.53
2.32 Baltimore Orioles2.33
2.96Cleveland Indians3.10
2.42Texas Rangers2.77
2.79Baltimore Orioles2.83
2.48Toronto Blue Jays2.69
2.48Boston Red Sox2.79
2.76Toronto Blue Jays2.90
2.45Minnesota Twins2.45
2.16Kansas City Royals2.57
1.93Boston Red Sox2.40
2.62Boston Red Sox2.65
2.41Boston Red Sox2.46
2.56Kansas City Royals2.95
2.65Oakland Athletics2.85
†2.48Seattle Mariners2.95
2.93Toronto Blue Jays3.22
2.05Toronto Blue Jays†2.28
2.65Toronto Blue Jays†2.89
†2.07Boston Red Sox3.44
†1.74Boston Red Sox3.70
3.05Seattle Mariners†3.15
†2.26Boston Red Sox2.58
†2.22Boston Red Sox2.70
2.61Minnesota Twins3.26
2.86Cleveland Indians2.87
2.77Minnesota Twins†3.19
3.01Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim3.06
2.54Cleveland Indians†2.78
2.16Kansas City Royals2.49
2.27Seattle Mariners2.33
2.40Detroit Tigers2.41
2.56Tampa Bay Rays2.64
2.57Detroit Tigers2.65
2.14Seattle Mariners2.17
2.45Detroit Tigers
Toronto Blue Jays		2.48
3.00Toronto Blue Jays3.04
2.25Cleveland Indians2.90
1.89Tampa Bay Rays2.21
2.50Houston Astros2.58

Footnotes