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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 calculated 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 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) and Jim Devlin^[4] (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 an active player.^[a]

List

Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 season.

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	Clayton Kershaw	2.500
44	Cy Morgan	2.509
45	Ray Collins	2.513
46	Jacob deGrom	2.522
47	Hoyt Wilhelm*	2.523
48	Lew Richie	2.536
49	Noodles Hahn	2.546
50	George Zettlein	2.547

Rank	Player	ERA
51	Frank Owen	2.552
52	Grover Cleveland Alexander*	2.560
53	Slim Sallee	2.564
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

Notes

^ A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.

References

^ "Ed Walsh Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
^ Dziurgot, Stanley. "Ed Walsh Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
^ "Addie Joss Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
^ "Jim Devlin Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.