lowest era to start a career in baseball minimum 60 starts starting pitcher live ball era

Since 1920, Clayton Kershaw has the best ERA by a starting pitcher in starts when starting 60+ games, with an ERA of 2.54.

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Regular season

	NAME	ERA	GS	G	W	L	W%	SO	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	R	HR	BB	HBP	GF	IBB	TBF	WP	K/9	BB/9	K/BB	HR/9	K%	BB%	WHIP	BABIP	RA	H/9
1	Clayton Kershaw C. Kershaw	2.54	451	451	223	96	.699	3,047	25	15	0	2850.1	2,191	804	881	235	711	46	0	27	11,261	108	9.62	2.25	4.29	0.74	27.1	6.3	1.02	.271	2.78	6.92
2	Jose Fernandez J. Fernandez	2.58	76	76	38	17	.691	589	0	0	0	471.1	357	135	150	31	140	13	0	12	1,888	16	11.25	2.67	4.21	0.59	31.2	7.4	1.05	.292	2.86	6.82
3	Yoshinobu Yamamoto Y. Yamamoto	2.61	76	76	33	19	.635	488	1	0	0	448.2	310	130	140	41	123	11	0	1	1,760	9	9.79	2.47	3.97	0.82	27.7	7.0	0.97	.245	2.81	6.22
4	Paul Skenes P. Skenes	2.62	87	87	31	24	.564	586	1	0	0	495.0	376	144	158	41	123	23	0	0	1,959	6	10.65	2.24	4.76	0.75	29.9	6.3	1.01	.282	2.87	6.84
5	Drew Rasmussen D. Rasmussen	2.69	111	111	44	19	.698	507	0	0	0	561.2	430	168	177	49	118	16	0	1	2,196	19	8.12	1.89	4.30	0.79	23.1	5.4	0.98	.253	2.84	6.89
6	Sandy Koufax S. Koufax	2.71	314	314	159	85	.652	2,274	137	40	0	2202.1	1,655	663	751	194	742	17	0	46	8,959	76	9.29	3.03	3.06	0.79	25.4	8.3	1.09	.255	3.07	6.76
7	Whitey Ford W. Ford	2.71	438	438	227	99	.696	1,857	156	45	0	3038.0	2,647	916	1,050	220	1,014	27	0	39	12,468	72	5.50	3.00	1.83	0.65	14.9	8.1	1.21	.260	3.11	7.84
8	Jacob deGrom J. deGrom	2.73	279	279	107	76	.585	2,052	4	2	0	1702.1	1,312	516	553	166	391	27	0	16	6,713	35	10.85	2.07	5.25	0.88	30.6	5.8	1.00	.281	2.92	6.94
9	Spud Chandler S. Chandler	2.78	184	184	106	42	.716	603	109	26	0	1442.1	1,279	445	525	63	445	19	0		5,915	18	3.76	2.78	1.36	0.39	10.2	7.5	1.20	.254	3.28	7.98
10	Jim Palmer J. Palmer	2.80	521	521	262	148	.639	2,142	211	53	0	3857.0	3,256	1,202	1,334	292	1,259	37	0	36	15,714	83	5.00	2.94	1.70	0.68	13.6	8.0	1.17	.247	3.11	7.60
11	Tex Hughson T. Hughson	2.83	156	156	86	51	.628	627	99	19	0	1232.2	1,129	387	432	71	311	10	0		5,046	2	4.58	2.27	2.02	0.52	12.4	6.2	1.17	.263	3.15	8.24
12	Shohei Ohtani S. Ohtani	2.83	114	114	47	22	.681	765	1	1	0	614.1	443	193	205	60	208	30	0	2	2,479	52	11.21	3.05	3.68	0.88	30.9	8.4	1.06	.270	3.00	6.49
13	Tom Seaver T. Seaver	2.86	647	647	310	203	.604	3,634	231	61	0	4776.1	3,961	1,517	1,670	378	1,387	76	0	115	19,337	123	6.85	2.61	2.62	0.71	18.8	7.2	1.12	.258	3.15	7.46
14	Bob Gibson B. Gibson	2.88	482	482	245	170	.590	3,044	255	56	0	3796.1	3,199	1,216	1,376	250	1,277	99	0	107	15,669	105	7.22	3.03	2.38	0.59	19.4	8.1	1.18	.268	3.26	7.58
15	Juan Marichal J. Marichal	2.89	457	457	238	140	.630	2,284	244	52	0	3476.1	3,133	1,118	1,320	318	701	38	0	82	14,118	51	5.91	1.81	3.26	0.82	16.2	5.0	1.10	.261	3.42	8.11
16	Andy Messersmith A. Messersmith	2.92	295	295	125	99	.558	1,528	98	27	0	2133.1	1,674	692	795	168	795	39	0	37	8,751	69	6.45	3.35	1.92	0.71	17.5	9.1	1.16	.242	3.35	7.06
17	Dean Chance D. Chance	2.94	294	294	111	105	.514	1,402	83	33	0	1949.1	1,682	637	763	111	663	64	0	58	8,082	60	6.47	3.06	2.11	0.51	17.3	8.2	1.20	.269	3.52	7.77
18	Don Drysdale D. Drysdale	2.95	465	465	203	160	.559	2,417	167	49	0	3338.1	2,999	1,095	1,260	275	821	148	0	114	13,700	79	6.52	2.21	2.94	0.74	17.6	6.0	1.14	.271	3.40	8.09
19	Pedro Martinez P. Martinez	2.95	409	409	208	97	.682	3,032	46	17	0	2720.0	2,151	893	979	233	705	136	0	26	10,955	60	10.03	2.33	4.30	0.77	27.7	6.4	1.05	.280	3.24	7.12
20	Mel Stottlemyre M. Stottlemyre	2.96	356	356	164	138	.543	1,254	152	40	0	2654.2	2,428	874	999	170	804	44	0	75	10,942	57	4.25	2.73	1.56	0.58	11.5	7.3	1.22	.260	3.39	8.23
21	Mort Cooper M. Cooper	2.97	239	239	119	71	.626	843	128	33	0	1741.2	1,580	574	663	75	518	27	0		7,219	23	4.36	2.68	1.63	0.39	11.7	7.2	1.20	.261	3.43	8.16
22	Harry Brecheen H. Brecheen	2.97	240	240	118	83	.587	805	125	25	0	1725.0	1,586	569	641	106	468	36	0		7,088	15	4.20	2.44	1.72	0.55	11.4	6.6	1.19	.261	3.34	8.27
23	Chris Sale C. Sale	2.97	339	339	154	94	.621	2,658	17	4	0	2145.2	1,749	708	765	215	478	143	0	12	8,629	45	11.15	2.00	5.56	0.90	30.8	5.5	1.04	.299	3.21	7.34
24	Bob Veale B. Veale	2.98	255	255	109	90	.548	1,553	78	20	0	1764.1	1,507	585	675	79	780	29	0	51	7,444	76	7.92	3.98	1.99	0.40	20.9	10.5	1.30	.285	3.44	7.69
25	Max Fried M. Fried	3.01	203	203	97	44	.688	1,128	6	4	0	1167.1	1,007	390	431	90	315	46	0	5	4,742	49	8.70	2.43	3.58	0.69	23.8	6.6	1.13	.290	3.32	7.76

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StatMuse has game-level data for ERA and starts going back to the 1901 season.

Some of the information used here was obtained free of charge from Retrosheet.

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Team Batting Leaders

30

Ohtani

RBI

85

Pages

AVG

.288

Freeman

Team Pitching Leaders

14

Yamamoto

182

Yamamoto

ERA

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Ohtani

Team Rankings

204

7th

801

4th

1,521

4th

ERA

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2026 Division Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	GB
Dodgers	100	62	.617
Padres	91	71	.562	9.0
Diamondbacks	86	76	.531	14.0
Giants	65	97	.401	35.0
Rockies	58	104	.358	42.0

Last Game

Dodgers

100 - 62

Final

Giants

65 - 97

Sun 27 Sep 2026

MLB 2026 Batting Leaders

HR Leaders

45

Crow-Armstrong

45

Schwarber

43

Alonso

RBI Leaders

116

Burleson

113

Alonso

111

Stewart

Batting Average Leaders

.316

Alvarez

.311

Moreno

.310

Arraez

Hit Leaders

191

Lopez

185

Arraez

181

Tatis

Run Leaders

119

Crow-Armstrong

113

Arozarena

106

Vargas

OBP Leaders

.432

Alvarez

.390

Rumfield

.389

Bauers

SLG Leaders

.601

Alvarez

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Crow-Armstrong

.534

Rice

SB Leaders

49

Nuñez

46

Simpson

45

Witt

MLB 2026 Pitching Leaders

Win Leaders

18

Sánchez

18

Gray

16

Misiorowski

Strikeout Leaders

252

Misiorowski

248

Williams

239

Schlittler

ERA Leaders

1.80

Misiorowski

1.95

Schlittler

2.16

Sale

WHIP Leaders

0.80

Misiorowski

0.87

Yamamoto

0.91

Rasmussen

K/9 Leaders

12.98

Misiorowski

12.73

Cease

12.11

Williams

K/BB Leaders

6.45

Sale

5.73

Misiorowski

5.44

Rasmussen

Walk Leaders

26

Martinez

31

Sale

32

Rasmussen

MLB Fantasy 2026

FanDuel Points Leaders

2,357.3

Crow-Armstrong

2,289.3

Ohtani

2,096

Alvarez

DraftKings Points Leaders

1,789

Crow-Armstrong

1,613.6

Ohtani

1,571

Alvarez

MLB 2026 Betting

Best Record ATS

93-69

92-70

91-71

88-74

87-75

85-76

Worst Record ATS

60-102

69-93

75-87

76-86

MLB 2026 Standings

NL East	W	L	PCT	GB
Braves - y	94	68	.580
Phillies - w	88	74	.543	6.0
Marlins	80	82	.494	14.0
Nationals	77	85	.475	17.0
Mets	74	88	.457	20.0
NL Central	W	L	PCT	GB
Brewers - y	103	59	.636
Cubs - w	89	73	.549	14.0
Pirates	82	80	.506	21.0
Cardinals	77	85	.475	26.0
Reds	75	87	.463	28.0
NL West	W	L	PCT	GB
Dodgers - y	100	62	.617
Padres - w	91	71	.562	9.0
Diamondbacks	86	76	.531	14.0
Giants	65	97	.401	35.0
Rockies	58	104	.358	42.0

AL East	W	L	PCT	GB
Rays - y	98	64	.605
Yankees - w	93	68	.578	4.5
Red Sox - w	87	75	.537	11.0
Orioles	79	82	.491	18.5
Blue Jays	79	83	.488	19.0
AL Central	W	L	PCT	GB
Guardians - y	85	77	.525
White Sox - w	84	78	.519	1.0
Twins	77	85	.475	8.0
Tigers	76	86	.469	9.0
Royals	69	93	.426	16.0
AL West	W	L	PCT	GB
Astros - y	81	81	.500
Rangers	80	82	.494	1.0
Mariners	76	86	.469	5.0
Athletics	64	98	.395	17.0
Angels	62	100	.383	19.0