# List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders

In baseball, earned run average (ERA) is a statistic used to evaluate pitchers, calculated as the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched..mw-parser-output .citation{word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)} A pitcher is men 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 (1962–1966); 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 (four American League and one National League) with two different teams.
The most recent ERA champions are Gerrit Cole in the American League and Blake Snell 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 sources, 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 (55 earned runs in 202+1⁄3 innings) bested Teddy Higuera's 2.455 mark (62 earned runs in 227+1⁄3 innings). 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 (2.34) over Vida Blue (2.35) in 1976.

## Key

| Year | Links to the corresponding "year in baseball" or "Major League Baseball season" article |
| Leader | Player with the lowest earned run average (ERA) in the league |
| Runner-up | Player with the second-best ERA in the league |
| League | Denoted only for players outside of the modern major leagues |
| † | Member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |

## National League

| Year | Leader | ERA | Team | Runner-up | ERA |
| 1876 | George Bradley | 1.23 | St. Louis Brown Stockings | Jim Devlin | 1.56 |
| 1877 | Tommy Bond | 2.11 | Boston Red Caps | Terry Larkin | 2.14 |
| 1878 | John Montgomery Ward$^†$ | 1.51 | Providence Grays | Jim McCormick | 1.69 |
| 1879 | Tommy Bond | 1.96 | Boston Red Caps | Will White | 1.99 |
| 1880 | Tim Keefe$^†$ | 0.86 | Troy Trojans | George Bradley | 1.38 |
| 1881 | Stump Weidman | 1.80 | Detroit Wolverines | John Montgomery Ward$^†$ | 2.13 |
| 1882 | Larry Corcoran | 1.95 | Chicago White Stockings | Charles Radbourn$^†$ | 2.09 |
| 1883 | Jim McCormick | 1.84 | Cleveland Blues | Charles Radbourn$^†$ | 2.05 |
| 1884 | Charles Radbourn$^†$ | 1.38 | Providence Grays | Charlie Sweeney | 1.55 |
| 1885 | Tim Keefe$^†$ | 1.58 | New York Giants | Mickey Welch$^†$ | 1.66 |
| 1886 | Henry Boyle | 1.76 | St. Louis Maroons | Charlie Ferguson | 1.96 |
| 1887 | Dan Casey | 2.86 | Philadelphia Phillies | Pete Conway | 2.90 |
| 1888 | Tim Keefe$^†$ | 1.74 | New York Giants | Ben Sanders | 1.90 |
| 1889 | John Clarkson$^†$ | 2.73 | Boston Beaneaters | Jersey Bakley | 2.96 |
| 1890 | Billy Rhines | 1.95 | Cincinnati Reds | Kid Nichols$^†$ | 2.23 |
| 1891 | John Ewing | 2.27 | New York Giants | Kid Nichols$^†$ | 2.39 |
| 1892 | Cy Young$^†$ | 1.93 | Cleveland Spiders | Tim Keefe$^†$ | 2.36 |
| 1893 | Ted Breitenstein | 3.18 | St. Louis Browns | Amos Rusie$^†$ | 3.23 |
| 1894 | Amos Rusie$^†$ | 2.78 | New York Giants | Jouett Meekin | 3.70 |
| 1895 | Al Maul | 2.45 | Washington Senators | Pink Hawley | 3.18 |
| 1896 | Billy Rhines | 2.45 | Cincinnati Reds | Kid Nichols$^†$ | 2.83 |
| 1897 | Amos Rusie$^†$ | 2.54 | New York Giants | Kid Nichols$^†$ | 2.64 |
| 1898 | Clark Griffith$^†$ | 1.88 | Chicago Orphans | Al Maul | 2.10 |
| 1899 | Vic Willis$^†$ | 2.50 | Boston Beaneaters | Cy Young$^†$ | 2.58 |
| 1900 | Rube Waddell$^†$ | 2.37 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Ned Garvin | 2.41 |
| 1901 | Jesse Tannehill | 2.18 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Deacon Phillippe | 2.22 |
| 1902 | Jack Taylor | 1.33 | Chicago Orphans | Noodles Hahn | 1.77 |
| 1903 | Sam Leever | 2.06 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Christy Mathewson$^†$ | 2.26 |
| 1904 | Joe McGinnity$^†$ | 1.61 | New York Giants | Ned Garvin | 1.68 |
| 1905 | Christy Mathewson$^†$ | 1.28 | New York Giants | Ed Reulbach | 1.42 |
| 1906 | Mordecai Brown$^†$ | 1.04 | Chicago Cubs | Jack Pfiester | 1.51 |
| 1907 | Jack Pfiester | 1.15 | Chicago Cubs | Carl Lundgren | 1.17 |
| 1908 | Christy Mathewson$^†$ | 1.43 | New York Giants | Mordecai Brown$^†$ | 1.47 |
| 1909 | Christy Mathewson$^†$ | 1.14 | New York Giants | Mordecai Brown$^†$ | 1.31 |
| 1910 | King Cole | 1.80 | Chicago Cubs | Mordecai Brown$^†$ | 1.86 |
| 1911 | Christy Mathewson$^†$ | 1.99 | New York Giants | Lew Richie | 2.31 |
| 1912 | Jeff Tesreau | 1.96 | New York Giants | Christy Mathewson$^†$ | 2.12 |
| 1913 | Christy Mathewson$^†$ | 2.06 | New York Giants | Babe Adams | 2.15 |
| 1914 | Bill Doak | 1.72 | St. Louis Cardinals | Bill James | 1.90 |
| 1915 | Grover Cleveland Alexander$^†$ | 1.22 | Philadelphia Phillies | Fred Toney | 1.58 |
| 1916 | Grover Cleveland Alexander$^†$ | 1.55 | Philadelphia Phillies | Rube Marquard$^†$ | 1.58 |
| 1917 | Fred Anderson | 1.44 | New York Giants | Grover Cleveland Alexander$^†$ | 1.83 |
| 1918 | Hippo Vaughn | 1.74 | Chicago Cubs | Lefty Tyler | 2.00 |
| 1919 | Grover Cleveland Alexander$^†$ | 1.72 | Chicago Cubs | Hippo Vaughn | 1.79 |
| 1920 | Grover Cleveland Alexander$^†$ | 1.91 | Chicago Cubs | Babe Adams | 2.16 |
| 1921 | Bill Doak | 2.59 | St. Louis Cardinals | Babe Adams | 2.64 |
| 1922 | Phil Douglas | 2.63 | New York Giants | Rosy Ryan | 3.01 |
| 1923 | Dolf Luque | 1.93 | Cincinnati Reds | Eppa Rixey$^†$ | 2.80 |
| 1924 | Dazzy Vance$^†$ | 2.16 | Brooklyn Robins | Hugh McQuillan | 2.69 |
| 1925 | Dolf Luque | 2.63 | Cincinnati Reds | Eppa Rixey$^†$ | 2.88 |
| 1926 | Ray Kremer | 2.61 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Charlie Root | 2.82 |
| 1927 | Ray Kremer | 2.47 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Grover Cleveland Alexander$^†$ | 2.52 |
| 1928 | Dazzy Vance$^†$ | 2.09 | Brooklyn Robins | Sheriff Blake | 2.47 |
| 1929 | Bill Walker | 3.09 | New York Giants | Burleigh Grimes$^†$ | 3.13 |
| 1930 | Dazzy Vance$^†$ | 2.61 | Brooklyn Robins | Carl Hubbell$^†$ | 3.87 |
| 1931 | Bill Walker | 2.26 | New York Giants | Carl Hubbell$^†$ | 2.65 |
| 1932 | Lon Warneke | 2.37 | Chicago Cubs | Carl Hubbell$^†$ | 2.50 |
| 1933 | Carl Hubbell$^†$ | 1.66 | New York Giants | Lon Warneke | 2.00 |
| 1934 | Carl Hubbell$^†$ | 2.30 | New York Giants | Dizzy Dean$^†$ | 2.66 |
| 1935 | Cy Blanton | 2.58 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Bill Swift | 2.70 |
| 1936 | Carl Hubbell$^†$ | 2.31 | New York Giants | Danny MacFayden | 2.87 |
| 1937 | Jim Turner | 2.38 | Boston Bees | Cliff Melton | 2.61 |
| 1938 | Bill Lee | 2.66 | Chicago Cubs | Charlie Root | 2.86 |
| 1939 | Bucky Walters | 2.29 | Cincinnati Reds | Bob Bowman | 2.60 |
| 1940 | Bucky Walters | 2.48 | Cincinnati Reds | Claude Passeau | 2.50 |
| 1941 | Elmer Riddle | 2.24 | Cincinnati Reds | Whit Wyatt | 2.34 |
| 1942 | Mort Cooper | 1.78 | St. Louis Cardinals | Johnny Beazley | 2.13 |
| 1943 | Max Lanier | 1.90 | St. Louis Cardinals | Mort Cooper | 2.30 |
| 1944 | Ed Heusser | 2.38 | Cincinnati Reds | Bucky Walters | 2.40 |
| 1945 | Ray Prim | 2.40 | Chicago Cubs | Claude Passeau | 2.46 |
| 1946 | Howie Pollet | 2.10 | St. Louis Cardinals | Johnny Sain | 2.21 |
| 1947 | Warren Spahn$^†$ | 2.33 | Boston Braves | Ewell Blackwell | 2.47 |
| 1948 | Harry Brecheen | 2.24 | St. Louis Cardinals | Dutch Leonard | 2.51 |
| 1949 | Dave Koslo | 2.50 | New York Giants | Jerry Staley | 2.73 |
| 1950 | Sal Maglie | 2.71 | New York Giants | Ewell Blackwell | 2.97 |
| 1951 | Chet Nichols Jr. | 2.88 | Boston Braves | Sal Maglie | 2.93 |
| 1952 | Hoyt Wilhelm$^†$ | 2.43 | New York Giants | Warren Hacker | 2.58 |
| 1953 | Warren Spahn$^†$ | 2.10 | Milwaukee Braves | Robin Roberts$^†$ | 2.75 |
| 1954 | Johnny Antonelli | 2.30 | New York Giants | Lew Burdette | 2.76 |
| 1955 | Bob Friend | 2.83 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Don Newcombe | 3.20 |
| 1956 | Lew Burdette | 2.70 | Milwaukee Braves | Warren Spahn$^†$ | 2.78 |
| 1957 | Johnny Podres | 2.66 | Brooklyn Dodgers | Don Drysdale$^†$ | 2.69 |
| 1958 | Stu Miller | 2.47 | San Francisco Giants | Sam Jones | 2.88 |
| 1959 | Sam Jones | 2.83 | San Francisco Giants | Stu Miller | 2.84 |
| 1960 | Mike McCormick | 2.70 | San Francisco Giants | Ernie Broglio | 2.74 |
| 1961 | Warren Spahn$^†$ | 3.02 | Milwaukee Braves | Jim O'Toole | 3.10 |
| 1962 | Sandy Koufax$^†$ | 2.54 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Bob Shaw | 2.80 |
| 1963 | Sandy Koufax$^†$ | 1.88 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Dick Ellsworth | 2.11 |
| 1964 | Sandy Koufax$^†$ | 1.74 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Don Drysdale$^†$ | 2.18 |
| 1965 | Sandy Koufax$^†$ | 2.04 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Juan Marichal$^†$ | 2.13 |
| 1966 | Sandy Koufax$^†$ | 1.73 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Mike Cuellar | 2.22 |
| 1967 | Phil Niekro$^†$ | 1.87 | Atlanta Braves | Jim Bunning$^†$ | 2.29 |
| 1968 | Bob Gibson$^†$ | 1.12 | St. Louis Cardinals | Bobby Bolin | 1.99 |
| 1969 | Juan Marichal$^†$ | 2.10 | San Francisco Giants | Steve Carlton$^†$ | 2.17 |
| 1970 | Tom Seaver$^†$ | 2.82 | New York Mets | Wayne Simpson | 3.02 |
| 1971 | Tom Seaver$^†$ | 1.76 | New York Mets | Dave Roberts | 2.10 |
| 1972 | Steve Carlton$^†$ | 1.97 | Philadelphia Phillies | Gary Nolan | 1.99 |
| 1973 | Tom Seaver$^†$ | 2.08 | New York Mets | Don Sutton$^†$ | 2.42 |
| 1974 | Buzz Capra | 2.28 | Atlanta Braves | Phil Niekro$^†$ | 2.38 |
| 1975 | Randy Jones | 2.24 | San Diego Padres | Andy Messersmith | 2.29 |
| 1976 | John Denny | 2.52 | St. Louis Cardinals | Doug Rau | 2.57 |
| 1977 | John Candelaria | 2.34 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Tom Seaver$^†$ | 2.58 |
| 1978 | Craig Swan | 2.43 | New York Mets | Steve Rogers | 2.47 |
| 1979 | J. R. Richard | 2.71 | Houston Astros | Tom Hume | 2.76 |
| 1980 | Don Sutton$^†$ | 2.20 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Steve Carlton$^†$ | 2.34 |
| 1981 | Nolan Ryan$^†$ | 1.69 | Houston Astros | Bob Knepper | 2.18 |
| 1982 | Steve Rogers | 2.40 | Montreal Expos | Joe Niekro | 2.47 |
| 1983 | Atlee Hammaker | 2.25 | San Francisco Giants | John Denny | 2.37 |
| 1984 | Alejandro Peña | 2.48 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Dwight Gooden | 2.60 |
| 1985 | Dwight Gooden | 1.53 | New York Mets | John Tudor | 1.93 |
| 1986 | Mike Scott | 2.22 | Houston Astros | Bob Ojeda | 2.57 |
| 1987 | Nolan Ryan$^†$ | 2.76 | Houston Astros | Mike Dunne | 3.03 |
| 1988 | Joe Magrane | 2.18 | St. Louis Cardinals | David Cone | 2.22 |
| 1989 | Scott Garrelts | 2.28 | San Francisco Giants | Orel Hershiser | 2.31 |
| 1990 | Danny Darwin | 2.21 | Houston Astros | Zane Smith | 2.55 |
| 1991 | Dennis Martínez | 2.39 | Montreal Expos | José Rijo | 2.51 |
| 1992 | Bill Swift | 2.08 | San Francisco Giants | Bob Tewksbury | 2.16 |
| 1993 | Greg Maddux$^†$ | 2.36 | Atlanta Braves | José Rijo | 2.48 |
| 1994 | Greg Maddux$^†$ | 1.56 | Atlanta Braves | Bret Saberhagen | 2.74 |
| 1995 | Greg Maddux$^†$ | 1.63 | Atlanta Braves | Hideo Nomo | 2.54 |
| 1996 | Kevin Brown | 1.89 | Florida Marlins | Greg Maddux$^†$ | 2.72 |
| 1997 | Pedro Martínez$^†$ | 1.90 | Montreal Expos | Greg Maddux$^†$ | 2.20 |
| 1998 | Greg Maddux$^†$ | 2.22 | Atlanta Braves | Kevin Brown | 2.38 |
| 1999 | Randy Johnson$^†$ | 2.48 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Kevin Millwood | 2.68 |
| 2000 | Kevin Brown | 2.58 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Randy Johnson$^†$ | 2.64 |
| 2001 | Randy Johnson$^†$ | 2.49 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Curt Schilling | 2.98 |
| 2002 | Randy Johnson$^†$ | 2.32 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Greg Maddux$^†$ | 2.62 |
| 2003 | Jason Schmidt | 2.34 | San Francisco Giants | Kevin Brown | 2.39 |
| 2004 | Jake Peavy | 2.27 | San Diego Padres | Randy Johnson$^†$ | 2.60 |
| 2005 | Roger Clemens | 1.87 | Houston Astros | Andy Pettitte | 2.39 |
| 2006 | Roy Oswalt | 2.98 | Houston Astros | Chris Carpenter | 3.09 |
| 2007 | Jake Peavy | 2.54 | San Diego Padres | Brandon Webb | 3.01 |
| 2008 | Johan Santana | 2.53 | New York Mets | Tim Lincecum | 2.62 |
| 2009 | Chris Carpenter | 2.24 | St. Louis Cardinals | Tim Lincecum | 2.48 |
| 2010 | Josh Johnson | 2.30 | Florida Marlins | Adam Wainwright | 2.42 |
| 2011 | Clayton Kershaw | 2.28 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Roy Halladay$^†$ | 2.35 |
| 2012 | Clayton Kershaw | 2.53 | Los Angeles Dodgers | R. A. Dickey | 2.73 |
| 2013 | Clayton Kershaw | 1.83 | Los Angeles Dodgers | José Fernández | 2.19 |
| 2014 | Clayton Kershaw | 1.77 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Johnny Cueto | 2.25 |
| 2015 | Zack Greinke | 1.66 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Jake Arrieta | 1.77 |
| 2016 | Kyle Hendricks | 2.13 | Chicago Cubs | Jon Lester | 2.44 |
| 2017 | Clayton Kershaw | 2.31 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Max Scherzer | 2.51 |
| 2018 | Jacob deGrom | 1.70 | New York Mets | Aaron Nola | 2.37 |
| 2019 | Hyun-jin Ryu | 2.32 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Jacob deGrom | 2.43 |
| 2020 | Trevor Bauer | 1.73 | Cincinnati Reds | Yu Darvish | 2.01 |
| 2021 | Corbin Burnes | 2.43 | Milwaukee Brewers | Max Scherzer | 2.46 |
| 2022 | Julio Urías | 2.16 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Sandy Alcántara | 2.28 |
| 2023 | Blake Snell | 2.25 | San Diego Padres | Kodai Senga | 2.98 |
| 2024 | Chris Sale | 2.38 | Atlanta Braves | Zack Wheeler | 2.57 |