League Leader's ERA relative to the Average of the Next Five

by Cyril Morong

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This table ranks each league leader in ERA relative to the average of the next five lowest ERA's. They are ranked from lowest to highest. They are separated by league. One way to judge a guy's ERA is to compare it to the league average. But in some years, for whatever reason, it may be easier to exceed the league average. If that is true, then a few others should have been able to. But if not, a pitcher will rank high. A better way to do this would be to find how many standard deviations from the mean pitchers were. But this method was pretty fast and easy to do with the Lee Sinins Sabermetric encyclopedia.

Rank	AL	ERA	Ratio	Year
1	Pedro Martinez	1.74	0.451	2000
2	Dutch Leonard	1	0.530	1914
3	Pedro Martinez	2.07	0.562	1999
4	Cy Young	1.62	0.609	1901
5	Walter Johnson	1.39	0.610	1912
6	Walter Johnson	1.14	0.612	1913
7	Walter Johnson	1.27	0.633	1918
8	Lefty Grove	2.06	0.651	1931
9	Spud Chandler	1.64	0.688	1943
10	Billy Pierce	1.97	0.694	1955
11	Walter Johnson	1.49	0.695	1919
12	Whitey Ford	2.01	0.696	1958
13	Vida Blue	1.82	0.701	1971
14	Dean Chance	1.65	0.702	1964
15	Ron Guidry	1.74	0.707	1978
16	Lefty Grove	2.54	0.709	1930
17	Roger Clemens	1.93	0.710	1990
18	Roger Clemens	2.05	0.722	1997
19	Pedro Martinez	2.22	0.728	2003
20	Lefty Gomez	2.33	0.737	1934
21	Hank Aguirre	2.21	0.743	1962
22	Johan Santana	2.61	0.757	2004
23	Addie Joss	1.16	0.757	1908
24	Randy Johnson	2.48	0.762	1995
25	Jim Palmer	2.09	0.762	1975
26	Thornton Lee	2.37	0.766	1941
27	Gary Peters	1.98	0.772	1966
28	Lefty Grove	2.81	0.775	1936
29	Hoyt Wilhelm	2.19	0.777	1959
30	Bret Saberhagen	2.16	0.783	1989
31	Rick Honeycutt	2.42	0.786	1983
32	Red Faber	2.48	0.789	1921
33	Joe Wood	1.49	0.789	1915
34	Mike Garcia	2.35	0.794	1949
35	Rube Waddell	1.48	0.797	1905
36	Gene Bearden	2.43	0.800	1948
37	Pedro Martinez	2.26	0.804	2002
38	Lefty Gomez	2.33	0.805	1937
39	Dick Donovan	2.4	0.806	1961
40	Roger Clemens	2.65	0.806	1998
41	Earl Moore	1.74	0.808	1903
42	Wilcy Moore	2.28	0.809	1927
43	Hal Newhouser	1.81	0.809	1945
44	Eddie Cicotte	1.53	0.816	1917
45	Luis Tiant	1.6	0.821	1968
46	Roger Clemens	2.48	0.822	1986
47	Ed Lopat	2.43	0.829	1953
48	Lefty Grove	2.51	0.829	1926
49	Allie Reynolds	2.07	0.833	1952
50	Dave Stieb	2.48	0.833	1985
51	Kevin Appier	2.56	0.833	1993
52	Ed Walsh	1.6	0.835	1907
53	Lefty Grove	2.7	0.837	1935
54	Bob Feller	2.62	0.838	1940
55	Joe Horlen	2.06	0.841	1967
56	Ed Siever	1.91	0.844	1902
57	Juan Guzman	2.93	0.845	1996
58	Harry Krause	1.39	0.847	1909
59	Whitey Ford	2.47	0.850	1956
60	Lefty Grove	2.54	0.850	1939
61	Jim Palmer	2.4	0.853	1973
62	Joe Haynes	2.42	0.857	1947
63	Ed Walsh	1.27	0.857	1910
64	Rudy May	2.46	0.858	1980
65	Lefty Grove	2.84	0.858	1932
66	Lefty Grove	2.81	0.859	1929
67	Ted Lyons	2.1	0.860	1942
68	Jimmy Key	2.76	0.861	1987
69	Sam McDowell	2.18	0.865	1965
70	Steve Ontiveros	2.65	0.865	1994
71	Hal Newhouser	1.94	0.868	1946
72	Vean Gregg	1.81	0.870	1911
73	Addie Joss	1.59	0.871	1904
74	Dick Bosman	2.19	0.872	1969
75	Doc White	1.52	0.873	1906
76	Frank Baumann	2.68	0.882	1960
77	Bob Shawkey	2.46	0.884	1920
78	Frank Tanana	2.54	0.891	1977
79	Diego Segui	2.56	0.891	1970
80	Ron Guidry	2.78	0.891	1979
81	Allan Anderson	2.45	0.894	1988
82	Dizzy Trout	2.12	0.895	1944
83	Lefty Grove	3.07	0.895	1938
84	Stan Coveleski	2.76	0.900	1923
85	Babe Ruth	1.75	0.900	1916
86	Garland Braxton	2.52	0.905	1928
87	Roger Clemens	2.41	0.907	1992
88	Stan Coveleski	2.84	0.910	1925
89	Bobby Shantz	2.45	0.911	1957
90	Sammy Stewart	2.32	0.911	1981
91	Mel Harder	2.95	0.916	1933
92	Saul Rogovin	2.78	0.916	1951
93	Roger Clemens	2.62	0.919	1991
94	Early Wynn	3.2	0.920	1950
95	Rick Sutcliffe	2.96	0.923	1982
96	Gary Peters	2.33	0.927	1963
97	Mike Boddicker	2.79	0.928	1984
98	Luis Tiant	1.91	0.929	1972
99	Catfish Hunter	2.49	0.930	1974
100	Freddy Garcia	3.05	0.930	2001
101	Walter Johnson	2.72	0.934	1924
102	Mark Fidrych	2.34	0.939	1976
103	Red Faber	2.8	0.956	1922
104	Mike Garcia	2.64	0.967	1954

Rank	NL	ERA	Ratio	Year
1	Tim Keefe	0.86	0.496	1880
2	Greg Maddux	1.56	0.531	1994
3	Bob Gibson	1.12	0.538	1968
4	Greg Maddux	1.63	0.555	1995
5	Three Finger Brown	1.04	0.594	1906
6	Grover C Alexander	1.22	0.605	1915
7	Dolf Luque	1.93	0.635	1923
8	Christy Mathewson	1.28	0.645	1905
9	Kevin Brown	1.89	0.647	1996
10	Dazzy Vance	2.61	0.660	1930
11	Jack Taylor	1.33	0.679	1902
12	Carl Hubbell	1.66	0.691	1933
13	Warren Spahn	2.1	0.691	1953
14	Dwight Gooden	1.53	0.696	1985
15	George Bradley	1.23	0.699	1876
16	Amos Rusie	2.78	0.706	1894
17	Christy Mathewson	1.14	0.710	1909
18	Old Hoss Radbourn	1.38	0.710	1884
19	Sandy Koufax	1.74	0.715	1964
20	Tom Seaver	1.76	0.718	1971
21	Nolan Ryan	1.69	0.727	1981
22	Pedro Martinez	1.9	0.731	1997
23	Sandy Koufax	1.73	0.732	1966
24	Mort Cooper	1.77	0.734	1942
25	Carl Hubbell	2.31	0.739	1936
26	Phil Niekro	1.87	0.746	1967
27	Fred Anderson	1.44	0.747	1917
28	Al Maul	2.45	0.754	1895
29	Jack Pfiester	1.15	0.758	1907
30	Max Lanier	1.9	0.760	1943
31	Dazzy Vance	2.16	0.767	1924
32	Cy Young	1.93	0.771	1892
33	Bill Walker	2.26	0.774	1931
34	Carl Hubbell	2.3	0.779	1934
35	Henry Boyle	1.76	0.780	1886
36	Billy Rhines	2.45	0.781	1896
37	Dazzy Vance	2.09	0.783	1928
38	Monte Ward	1.51	0.784	1878
39	Stump Wiedman	1.8	0.787	1881
40	Billy Rhines	1.95	0.789	1890
41	Sandy Koufax	1.88	0.792	1963
42	Randy Johnson	2.32	0.793	2002
43	Mike Scott	2.22	0.795	1986
44	Bucky Walters	2.29	0.795	1939
45	Jim McCormick	1.84	0.796	1883
46	Johnny Antonelli	2.29	0.796	1954
47	Don Sutton	2.2	0.797	1980
48	Tom Seaver	2.08	0.797	1973
49	Stu Miller	2.47	0.804	1958
50	Christy Mathewson	1.99	0.807	1911
51	Tim Keefe	1.58	0.808	1885
52	Tommy Bond	2.11	0.809	1877
53	Jake Peavy	2.27	0.810	2004
54	Clark Griffith	1.88	0.812	1898
55	Randy Johnson	2.48	0.812	1999
56	Randy Johnson	2.49	0.813	2001
57	Grover C Alexander	1.91	0.813	1920
58	Larry Corcoran	1.95	0.815	1882
59	Hippo Vaughn	1.74	0.819	1918
60	Phil Douglas	2.62	0.824	1922
61	Harry Brecheen	2.24	0.831	1948
62	Danny Darwin	2.21	0.832	1990
63	Elmer Riddle	2.24	0.837	1941
64	Atlee Hammaker	2.25	0.839	1983
65	Greg Maddux	2.36	0.843	1993
66	Sandy Koufax	2.04	0.844	1965
67	King Cole	1.8	0.847	1910
68	Bill Doak	1.72	0.847	1914
69	Greg Maddux	2.22	0.847	1998
70	Joe McGinnity	1.61	0.847	1904
71	Lon Warneke	2.37	0.848	1932
72	Jeff Tesreau	1.96	0.848	1912
73	Grover C Alexander	1.55	0.849	1916
74	John Clarkson	2.73	0.851	1889
75	Jim Turner	2.38	0.852	1937
76	Amos Rusie	2.54	0.852	1897
77	Jason Schmidt	2.34	0.854	2003
78	Warren Spahn	2.33	0.854	1947
79	Dolf Luque	2.63	0.858	1925
80	Randy Jones	2.24	0.866	1975
81	Tim Keefe	1.74	0.866	1888
82	Sam Leever	2.06	0.867	1903
83	John Ewing	2.27	0.868	1891
84	Howie Pollet	2.1	0.868	1946
85	Dave Koslo	2.5	0.869	1949
86	Steve Carlton	1.97	0.869	1972
87	John Candelaria	2.34	0.872	1977
88	Bucky Walters	2.48	0.873	1940
89	Bob Friend	2.84	0.873	1955
90	Christy Mathewson	1.43	0.877	1908
91	Kevin Brown	2.58	0.881	2000
92	Nolan Ryan	2.76	0.884	1987
93	Rube Waddell	2.37	0.885	1900
94	Ray Kremer	2.47	0.885	1927
95	Bill Walker	3.08	0.886	1929
96	Sal Maglie	2.71	0.886	1950
97	Steve Rogers	2.4	0.886	1982
98	Scott Garrelts	2.28	0.887	1989
99	Sandy Koufax	2.54	0.888	1962
100	Bill Swift	2.08	0.888	1992
101	Cy Blanton	2.59	0.891	1935
102	Tommy Bond	1.96	0.897	1879
103	Bill Lee	2.66	0.902	1938
104	Ray Prim	2.4	0.908	1945
105	Tom Seaver	2.82	0.909	1970
106	Grover C Alexander	1.72	0.910	1919
107	Buzz Capra	2.28	0.913	1974
108	Dennis Martinez	2.39	0.913	1991
109	Ray Kremer	2.61	0.914	1926
110	Hoyt Wilhelm	2.43	0.916	1952
111	Alejandro Pena	2.48	0.916	1984
112	Ed Heusser	2.38	0.918	1944
113	Christy Mathewson	2.06	0.919	1913
114	Lew Burdette	2.71	0.921	1956
115	Mike McCormick	2.7	0.922	1960
116	Bill Doak	2.58	0.927	1921
117	Craig Swan	2.43	0.929	1978
118	J.R. Richard	2.71	0.931	1979
119	Ted Breitenstein	3.18	0.934	1893
120	Dan Casey	2.86	0.935	1887
121	Vic Willis	2.5	0.936	1899
122	Jesse Tannehill	2.18	0.936	1901
123	Joe Magrane	2.18	0.937	1988
124	Juan Marichal	2.1	0.940	1969
125	Warren Spahn	3.01	0.942	1961
126	John Denny	2.52	0.945	1976
127	Johnny Podres	2.66	0.946	1957
128	Chet Nichols	2.88	0.960	1951
129	Sam Jones	2.82	0.963	1959

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