Inbaseball statistics,earned run average (ERA) is the mean ofearned runs given up by apitcher per nineinnings 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 fromdefensive errors (including pitchers' defensive errors) are recorded asunearned runs and are not used to determine 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) andJim 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 toNational Baseball Hall of Fame. |
|---|---|
| Bold | Denotes an active player.[a] |
_(50389894478)_(cropped).jpg)
| 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 | Cy Morgan | 2.509 |
| 44 | Ray Collins | 2.513 |
| 45 | Hoyt Wilhelm* | 2.523 |
| 46 | Clayton Kershaw | 2.534 |
| 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 | Jacob deGrom | 2.572 |
| 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 |