ERA and ERA+: best and worst to lead AL and NL.

Derived from:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/earned_run_avg_leagues.shtml

Click this link to view my file.

Highest ERA that was the lowest that season:

American League

ERA

Year

Early Wynn+ (CLE)

3.20

1950

Year

National League

ERA

1929

Bill Walker* (NYG)

3.09

Earned Run Average

1.	Wynn • CLE	3.20
2.	Garver • SLB	3.39
3.	Feller • CLE	3.43
4.	Lopat • NYY	3.47
5.	Houtteman • DET	3.54
6.	Wight • CHW	3.58
7.	Parnell • BOS	3.61
8.	Reynolds • NYY	3.74
9.	Trout • DET	3.75
10.	Lemon • CLE	3.84

Earned Run Average

1.	Walker • NYG	3.09
2.	Grimes • PIT	3.13
3.	Root • CHC	3.47
4.	Malone • CHC	3.57
5.	Lucas • CIN	3.60
6.	Johnson • STL	3.60
7.	Bush • CHC	3.66
8.	Hubbell • NYG	3.69
9.	Petty • PIT	3.71
10.	Clark • BRO	3.74

Surrounding years for Early Wynn:

Year

National League

ERA

American League

ERA

Year

1955	Bob Friend (PIT)	2.83	Billy Pierce* (CHW)	1.97	1955
1954	Johnny Antonelli* (NYG)	2.30	Mike Garcia (CLE)	2.64	1954
1953	Warren Spahn+* (MLN)	2.10	Eddie Lopat* (NYY)	2.42	1953
1952	Hoyt Wilhelm+ (NYG)	2.43	Allie Reynolds (NYY)	2.06	1952
1951	Chet Nichols* (BSN)	2.88	Saul Rogovin (2TM)	2.78	1951
1950	Sal Maglie (NYG)	2.71	Early Wynn+ (CLE)	3.20	1950
1949	Dave Koslo* (NYG)	2.50	Mike Garcia (CLE)	2.36	1949
1948	Harry Brecheen* (STL)	2.24	Gene Bearden* (CLE)	2.43	1948
1947	Warren Spahn+* (BSN)	2.33	Joe Haynes (CHW)	2.42	1947
1946	Howie Pollet* (STL)	2.10	Hal Newhouser+* (DET)	1.94	1946

Wynn's ERA was much higher than that of his teammate Mike Garcia the year before: 1949

Surrounding years for Bill Walker:

Year

National League

ERA

American League

ERA

Year

1934	Carl Hubbell+* (NYG)	2.30	Lefty Gomez+* (NYY)	2.33	1934
1933	Carl Hubbell+* (NYG)	1.66	Mel Harder (CLE)	2.95	1933
1932	Lon Warneke (CHC)	2.37	Lefty Grove+* (PHA)	2.84	1932
1931	Bill Walker* (NYG)	2.26	Lefty Grove+* (PHA)	2.06	1931
1930	Dazzy Vance+ (BRO)	2.61	Lefty Grove+* (PHA)	2.54	1930
1929	Bill Walker* (NYG)	3.09	Lefty Grove+* (PHA)	2.81	1929
1928	Dazzy Vance+ (BRO)	2.09	Garland Braxton* (WSH)	2.51	1928
1927	Ray Kremer (PIT)	2.47	Wilcy Moore (NYY)	2.28	1927
1926	Ray Kremer (PIT)	2.61	Lefty Grove+* (PHA)	2.51	1926
1925	Dolf Luque (CIN)	2.63	Stan Coveleski+ (WSH)	2.84	1925
1924	Dazzy Vance+ (BRO)	2.16	Walter Johnson+ (WSH)	2.72	1924

New York Giant Bill Walker was a full run higher than cross town rival Dazzy Vance the year before: 1928.

What about the lowest ERA? Both are in the dead ball period:

Year

National League

ERA

American League

ERA

Year

1919	Grover Alexander+ (CHC)	1.72	Walter Johnson+ (WSH)	1.49	1919
1918	Hippo Vaughn* (CHC)	1.74	Walter Johnson+ (WSH)	1.27	1918
1917	Fred Anderson (NYG)	1.44	Eddie Cicotte (CHW)	1.53	1917
1916	Grover Alexander+ (PHI)	1.55	Babe Ruth+* (BOS)	1.75	1916
1915	Grover Alexander+ (PHI)	1.22	Smoky Joe Wood (BOS)	1.49	1915
1914	Bill Doak (STL)	1.72	Dutch Leonard* (BOS)	0.96	1914
1913	Christy Mathewson+ (NYG)	2.06	Walter Johnson+ (WSH)	1.14	1913
1912	Jeff Tesreau (NYG)	1.96	Walter Johnson+ (WSH)	1.39	1912
1911	Christy Mathewson+ (NYG)	1.99	Vean Gregg* (CLE)	1.80	1911
1910	King Cole (CHC)	1.80	Ed Walsh+ (CHW)	1.27	1910
1909	Christy Mathewson+ (NYG)	1.14	Harry Krause* (PHA)	1.39	1909
1908	Christy Mathewson+ (NYG)	1.43	Addie Joss+ (CLE)	1.16	1908
1907	Jack Pfiester* (CHC)	1.15	Ed Walsh+ (CHW)	1.60	1907
1906	Mordecai Brown+ (CHC)	1.04	Doc White* (CHW)	1.52	1906
1905	Christy Mathewson+ (NYG)	1.28	Rube Waddell+* (PHA)	1.48	1905
1904	Joe McGinnity+ (NYG)	1.61	Addie Joss+ (CLE)	1.59	1904
1903	Sam Leever (PIT)	2.06	Earl Moore (CLE)	1.74	1903

AL: Dutch Leonard, Boston Red Sox: 0.96 in 1914.

NL: Mordecai Brown, Chicago Cubs 1.04 in 1906.

Earned Run Average

1.	Leonard • BOS	0.96
2.	Foster • BOS	1.70
3.	Johnson • WSH	1.72
4.	Caldwell • NYY	1.94
5.	Cicotte • CHW	2.04
6.	Weilman • SLB	2.08
7.	Benz • CHW	2.26
8.	Bender • PHA	2.26
9.	Fisher • NYY	2.28
10.	Warhop • NYY	2.37

Earned Run Average

1.	Brown • CHC	1.04
2.	Pfiester • CHC	1.51
3.	Reulbach • CHC	1.65
4.	Willis • PIT	1.73
5.	Leifield • PIT	1.87
6.	Taylor • 2TM	1.99
7.	Sparks • PHI	2.16
8.	Taylor • NYG	2.20
9.	Lundgren • CHC	2.21
10.	Weimer • CIN	2.22

Unfortunately, the top ten lists below now include non MLB (AL & NL) teams in some years:

Year-by-Year Top-Tens Leaders & Records for Earned Run Average

Year-by-Year Top-Tens Leaders & Records for Adjusted ERA+

1950

1.	Sal Maglie	152
2.	Ned Garver	146
3.	Ewell Blackwell	143
4.	Mel Parnell	137
5.	Max Lanier	137
6.	Larry Jansen	136
7.	Early Wynn	135
8.	Robin Roberts	133
9.	Art Houtteman	132
10.	Howie Pollet	130

1929 NL only:

Adjusted ERA+

1.	Grimes • PIT	154
2.	Walker • NYG	148
3.	Johnson • STL	132
4.	Root • CHC	132
5.	Petty • PIT	130
6.	Malone • CHC	128
7.	Lucas • CIN	127
8.	Bush • CHC	125
9.	Hubbell • NYG	124
10.	Clark • BRO	124

Early Wynn had only the 7th the best MLB ERA+ in 1950 season in a combined list of AL and NL pitchers. Bill Walker had the second best NL ERA+ in 1929.

Worst:

Diego Segui led AL with ERA+ 139 in 1970:

1970

1.	Tom Seaver	143
2.	Wayne Simpson	139
3.	Diego Seguí	139
4.	Jim Palmer	134
5.	Sam McDowell	134
6.	Milt Pappas	133
7.	Bob Gibson	133
8.	Ken Holtzman	132
9.	Fergie Jenkins	132
10.	Ray Culp	131

Sal Maglie led NL with ERA+ 134 in 1951:

1951

1.	Saul Rogovin	146
2.	Mel Parnell	137
3.	Sal Maglie	134
4.	Billy Pierce	133
5.	Mickey McDermott	133
6.	Eddie Lopat	132
7.	Larry Jansen	129
8.	Preacher Roe	129
9.	Al Brazle	128
10.	Chet Nichols	128

Best in seasons of more than 100 games:

AL:

2000

1.	Pedro Martínez	291
2.	Randy Johnson	181
3.	Jeff D'Amico	171
4.	Kevin Brown	167
5.	Greg Maddux	153
6.	Mike Hampton	142
7.	Al Leiter	139
8.	Tom Glavine	135
9.	Rick Ankiel	134
10.	Mike Sirotka	133

NL (Atlanta played 114 games):

1994

1.	Greg Maddux	271
2.	Marvin Freeman	179
3.	Roger Clemens	176
4.	David Cone	171
5.	Steve Ontiveros	167
6.	Mike Mussina	164
7.	Bret Saberhagen	153
8.	Randy Johnson	152
9.	Ricky Bones	146
10.	Jeff Fassero	142

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