In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed 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. Thus, a lower ERA is better.
The golden age of baseball, or baseball’s Golden Era, is the period from about 1920 to 1960. The golden era is the time period immediately following the dead-ball era (before World War I) but prior to what is now called the modern era. There is no exact timeframe in any of these eras.
If a pitcher has an ERA of 4.00 or below, or even better, an ERA score of 2.00 or below, this means that the pitcher’s performance is stronger. The lower the ERA score the better, and the lower the ERA score, the stronger the pitcher’s performance is.
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.
An ERA between 4.00 and 5.00 is average; the majority of pitchers have an ERA in this range. An ERA above 5.00 is generally considered below-average, and a pitcher with an ERA above 6.00 for a prolonged period of time is usually in danger of demotion to the bullpen or a lower league.
So, what’s a good ERA for a closing pitcher? A good ERA for a closer is between 2.00-3.00, which means the pitcher will allow two to three runs per nine innings on average. Closers typically pitch one inning in a game, which translates into an ERA that is generally lower than other types of pitchers.
Earned run average represents the number of earned runs a pitcher allows per nine innings – with earned runs being any runs that scored without the aid of an error or a passed ball. ERA is the most commonly accepted statistical tool for evaluating pitchers.
J. VerlanderMLB Stat Leaders 2022
EARNED RUN AVERAGE | ERA |
---|---|
1 J. VerlanderHOU | 1.82 |
2 D. CeaseCHW | 2.13 |
3 J. UriasLAD | 2.25 |
4 A. ManoahTOR | 2.31 |
In general, an ERA in the range of 4.00 – 5.00 is considered a good career ERA, with the best pitchers being below 2.00. According to Baseball Almanac, Ed Walsh is credited with holding the career record for ERA with 1.82.
1.816Ed Walsh holds the MLB earned run average record with a 1.816.List.
Rank | Player | ERA |
---|---|---|
1 | Ed Walsh * | 1.816 |
2 | Addie Joss * | 1.887 |
3 | Jim Devlin | 1.896 |
4 | Jack Pfiester | 2.024 |
Interpreted as:
NAME | SEASON | ERA- |
---|---|---|
Adam Wainwright | 2021 | 76 |
Lance McCullers Jr. | 2021 | 76 |
Anthony DeSclafani | 2021 | 78 |
Joe Musgrove | 2021 | 78 |
When it comes to Major League-caliber pitchers a good WHIP is around 1.00. Anything below 1.00 is outstanding (potential Cy Young worthy) since it demonstrates how dominant a pitcher is.
Usually, an average WHIP is around 1.30, while a good WHIP is under 1.10, and an elite WHIP is below 1. A WHIP over 1.50 is generally considered poor. Though they aren’t completely related, usually a pitcher with a good WHIP will have a good ERA as well.
Ed Walsh+Career Leaders & Records for Earned Run Average
Rank | Player (yrs, age) | Earned Run Average |
---|---|---|
1. | Ed Walsh+ (14) | 1.816 |
2. | Addie Joss+ (9) | 1.887 |
3. | Jim Devlin (5) | 1.896 |
4. | Jack Pfiester (8) | 2.024 |
Most Seasons Played
Player | Years Played | Seasons |
---|---|---|
Nolan Ryan | 1966-1993 | 27 |
Cap Anson | 1871-1897 | 27 |
Deacon McGuire | 1884-1912 | 26 |
Tommy John | 1963-1989 | 26 |
Earned Run Average
| colspan=“3”>Earned Run Average All Time Leaders | ‘Top 1,000’ | | — | | Name | ERA (Raw ERA) | Rank | | Ed Walsh | 1.82 (1.816) | 1 | | Addie Joss | 1.89 (1.887) | 2 | | Jim Devlin | 1.89 (1.890) | 3 |
3.97League Year-By-Year Pitching–Averages
Year | Tms | ERA |
---|---|---|
2022 | 30 | 3.97 |
2021 | 30 | 4.26 |
2020 | 30 | 4.44 |
2019 | 30 | 4.49 |
Wild PitchesBaseball Glossary
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WHIP reflects a pitcher’s propensity for allowing batters to reach base, therefore a lower WHIP indicates better performance. While earned run average (ERA) measures the runs a pitcher gives up, WHIP more directly measures a pitcher’s effectiveness against batters.
If you’ve got a pitcher on the hill that gives up an average of 3 runs or less per game, you’re going to win a lot of games. 3.00 to 3.50 - These are great ERA’s. Very bettable and very solid. 4.00 to 4.50 - This would be considered to be an average ERA.
K/9 rate measures how many strikeouts a pitcher averages for every nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing his strikeout total by his innings pitched total and multiplying the result by nine.
Batting Average (AVG)
One of the oldest and most universal tools to measure a hitter’s success at the plate, batting average is determined by dividing a player’s hits by his total at-bats for a number between zero (shown as . 000) and one (1.000).