List of Major League Baseball career ERA leaders
Introduction Ed Walsh, the career leader in earned run average.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 determined 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 ERA.This is a list of the top 100 players in career earned run average, who have thrown at least 1,000 innings.Ed Walsh holds the MLB earned run average record with a 1.816.Addie Joss (1.887) and Jim Devlin (1.896) are the only other pitchers with a career earned run average under 2.000.
Key  '''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 active player.
List Clayton Kershaw, the active leader and 41st all-time in career earned run average. *Stats updated as of the end of the 2023 season.RankPlayerERA1Ed Walsh *1.8162Addie Joss *1.8873Jim Devlin1.8964Jack Pfiester2.0245Smoky Joe Wood2.0336Mordecai Brown *2.0577John Montgomery Ward *2.0998Christy Mathewson *2.133Al Spalding *2.13310Tommy Bond2.13811Rube Waddell *2.16112Walter Johnson *2.16713Mariano Rivera *2.20914Jake Weimer2.23115Orval Overall2.25716Will White2.27617Babe Ruth *2.27718Ed Reulbach2.28419Jim Scott2.29820Reb Russell2.33421Andy Coakley2.350Eddie Plank *2.35023Larry Corcoran2.35524Eddie Cicotte2.38025George McQuillan2.38126Ed Killian2.38227Doc White2.39128Harry Coveleski2.39429Carl Lundgren2.41730Nap Rucker2.42131Candy Cummings *2.42432Jeff Tesreau2.42833Joe Benz2.42934Jim McCormick2.43135George Bradley2.43436Terry Larkin2.43537Chief Bender *2.45538Hooks Wiltse2.47139Sam Leever2.473Lefty Leifield2.47341'''Clayton Kershaw'''2.47842Hippo Vaughn2.48643Bob Ewing2.49244Cy Morgan2.50945Ray Collins2.51346Hoyt Wilhelm *2.52347'''Jacob deGrom'''2.52848Lew Richie2.53649Noodles Hahn2.54650George Zettlein2.547RankPlayerERA51Frank Owen2.55252Grover Cleveland Alexander *2.56053Slim Sallee2.56454Deacon Phillippe2.58655Russ Ford2.59056Frank Smith2.59257Ed Siever2.59858Bob Rhoads2.61259Cherokee Fisher2.61360Fred Glade 2.61861Tim Keefe *2.627Cy Young *2.62763Vic Willis *2.62864Red Ames2.629Bill Foster2.62966Barney Pelty2.63267Claude Hendrix2.64968Bullet Rogan *2.65269Jack Taylor2.65370Joe McGinnity 2.657Dick Rudolph2.65772Pete Schneider2.66373Nick Altrock2.669Carl Weilman2.66975Charlie Ferguson2.67476Charles Radbourn *2.67877Johnny Lush2.68078Cy Falkenberg2.68279Jack Chesbro *2.68480Fred Toney2.68981Bill Donovan2.69082Satchel Paige *2.69783Larry Cheney2.69884Vean Gregg2.70185Dick McBride2.70686Mickey Welch *2.71287Ned Garvin2.71888Bob Wicker2.72689Fred Goldsmith2.72990Nick Cullop2.73391Harry Howell2.73892Whitey Ford *2.74593Dummy Taylor2.74794Howie Camnitz2.749Roy Patterson2.74996Babe Adams2.75597Dutch Leonard2.75998Dan Quisenberry2.76099Sandy Koufax *2.761100Jeff Pfeffer2.774
See also *Baseball statistics*List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders
Notes
References
External links *