ERA, or Earned Run Average, is one of the most important and widely used statistics in Major League Baseball. It measures the number of earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings of work, and is used to compare pitchers across all eras. With so much riding on a pitcher’s ability to keep runs off the board, many teams and fans alike want to know who has the best ERA in MLB right now.
ERA Leaders in MLB: 2019
The 2019 Major League Baseball ERA leaders are quite varied and range from some of the biggest names in the game to some lesser-known pitchers. At the top of the list is Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer, who has an ERA of 2.45. He is followed by Tampa Bay Rays starter Charlie Morton, who is having a great season with an ERA of 2.56. Rounding out the top 5 are Justin Verlander (2.60), Lucas Giolito (2.72), and Hyun-Jin Ryu (2.74).
Recent ERA Leaders
The 2019 ERA leaders are just the latest in a long line of great pitchers who have held the top spot over the past few years. In 2018, Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets held the top spot with an ERA of 1.70. The year before, it was Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 1.69 ERA. In 2016, the leader was Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, who posted a 1.77 ERA.
Career ERA Leaders
While the ERA leaders of the current season are important, they are also just a snapshot of a pitcher’s performance in that year. To truly understand who has the best ERA in MLB, it’s important to look at the career ERA leaders. This list includes some of the all-time greats, including Greg Maddux, who has the lowest career ERA in MLB history with a 2.63 mark. He’s followed by Pedro Martinez (2.93), Walter Johnson (2.98), Whitey Ford (2.98), and Christy Mathewson (2.99).
ERA and Pitcher Performance
ERA is an incredibly important statistic when it comes to evaluating a pitcher’s performance, as it measures how many runs a pitcher allows on average over a nine inning game. It’s important to remember, however, that ERA doesn’t tell the whole story. Other important measures of pitcher performance include WHIP (Walks + Hits Per Inning Pitched), strikeouts per nine innings, and fielding independent pitching (FIP).
Conclusion
There are a number of great pitchers in Major League Baseball, and it’s not easy to pick a single player who has the best ERA in MLB. However, when looking at the career ERA leaders, it’s clear that Greg Maddux is the all-time leader, with a 2.63 ERA. He’s followed by Pedro Martinez (2.93), Walter Johnson (2.98), Whitey Ford (2.98), and Christy Mathewson (2.99). When evaluating a pitcher’s performance, though, ERA is just one piece of the puzzle, and it’s important to look at other metrics such as WHIP, strikeouts per nine innings, and FIP as well.