mlb starting pitcher with the best era since 1920 minimum 2000 innings pitched

Since 1920, Clayton Kershaw has the lowest ERA by a starting pitcher when pitching at least 2000 innings, with an ERA of 2.54.

NAMEERAIPGWLW%GSSOCGSHOSVHERRHRBBHBPGFIBBTBFWPK/9BB/9K/BBHR/9K%BB%WHIPBABIPRAH/9
1Clayton Kershaw
C. Kershaw
2.54
2850.1
451
223
96
.699
451
3,047
25
15
0
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
2Sandy Koufax
S. Koufax
2.71
2202.1
314
159
85
.652
314
2,274
137
40
0
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
3Whitey Ford
W. Ford
2.71
3038.0
438
227
99
.696
438
1,857
156
45
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
4Jim Palmer
J. Palmer
2.80
3857.0
521
262
148
.639
521
2,142
211
53
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
5Tom Seaver
T. Seaver
2.86
4776.1
647
310
203
.604
647
3,634
231
61
0
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
6Bob Gibson
B. Gibson
2.88
3796.1
482
245
170
.590
482
3,044
255
56
0
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
7Juan Marichal
J. Marichal
2.89
3476.1
457
238
140
.630
457
2,284
244
52
0
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
8Andy Messersmith
A. Messersmith
2.92
2133.1
295
125
99
.558
295
1,528
98
27
0
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
9Don Drysdale
D. Drysdale
2.95
3338.1
465
203
160
.559
465
2,417
167
49
0
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
10Pedro Martinez
P. Martinez
2.95
2720.0
409
208
97
.682
409
3,032
46
17
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
11Mel Stottlemyre
M. Stottlemyre
2.96
2654.2
356
164
138
.543
356
1,254
152
40
0
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
12Grover Alexander
G. Alexander
3.05
2353.0
293
157
101
.609
293
638
194
20
0
2,468
797
953
108
330
14
0
9,639
14
2.44
1.26
1.93
0.41
6.6
3.4
1.19
.276
3.65
9.44
13Carl Hubbell
C. Hubbell
3.05
3357.2
433
233
146
.615
433
1,556
260
36
0
3,261
1,138
1,326
221
682
49
0
13,890
46
4.17
1.83
2.28
0.59
11.2
4.9
1.17
.267
3.55
8.74
14Warren Spahn
W. Spahn
3.08
5101.0
665
358
227
.612
665
2,501
382
63
0
4,703
1,743
1,951
422
1,383
39
0
52
20,960
74
4.41
2.44
1.81
0.74
11.9
6.6
1.19
.258
3.44
8.30
15Lefty Grove
L. Grove
3.08
3560.2
457
268
119
.693
457
2,013
298
35
0
3,513
1,220
1,448
148
1,027
38
0
15,016
38
5.09
2.60
1.96
0.37
13.4
6.8
1.28
.285
3.66
8.88
16Hal Newhouser
H. Newhouser
3.10
2808.0
374
187
140
.572
374
1,674
212
33
0
2,532
966
1,128
128
1,152
19
0
11,865
62
5.37
3.69
1.45
0.41
14.1
9.7
1.31
.270
3.62
8.12
17Gaylord Perry
G. Perry
3.10
5156.2
690
305
252
.548
690
3,372
303
53
0
4,762
1,778
2,045
382
1,314
101
0
144
21,140
150
5.89
2.29
2.57
0.67
16.0
6.2
1.18
.274
3.57
8.31
18Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
3.12
4913.2
707
354
184
.658
707
4,671
118
46
0
4,182
1,706
1,884
363
1,579
159
0
63
20,227
143
8.56
2.89
2.96
0.66
23.1
7.8
1.17
.284
3.45
7.66
19Mike Cuellar
M. Cuellar
3.14
2688.1
379
177
125
.586
379
1,547
172
36
0
2,420
937
1,081
214
774
9
0
52
10,992
48
5.18
2.59
2.00
0.72
14.1
7.0
1.19
.261
3.62
8.10
20Greg Maddux
G. Maddux
3.15
5001.0
740
355
226
.611
740
3,366
109
35
0
4,717
1,750
1,974
351
996
137
0
177
20,388
70
6.06
1.79
3.38
0.63
16.5
4.9
1.14
.281
3.55
8.49
21Dazzy Vance
D. Vance
3.15
2734.2
345
184
128
.590
345
1,899
216
29
0
2,556
957
1,117
123
744
62
0
11,343
30
6.25
2.45
2.55
0.40
16.7
6.6
1.21
.286
3.68
8.41
22Jon Matlack
J. Matlack
3.15
2260.2
318
122
123
.498
318
1,460
97
30
0
2,152
792
923
152
605
25
0
66
9,338
64
5.81
2.41
2.41
0.61
15.6
6.5
1.22
.282
3.67
8.57
23Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
3.18
5326.0
773
318
291
.522
773
5,654
222
61
0
3,880
1,884
2,151
314
2,748
156
0
75
22,310
275
9.55
4.64
2.06
0.53
25.3
12.3
1.24
.265
3.63
6.56
24Urban Shocker
U. Shocker
3.18
2032.0
261
145
88
.622
261
713
168
22
0
2,104
884
110
446
25
0
8,522
8
3.16
1.98
1.60
0.49
8.4
5.2
1.25
.276
3.92
9.32
25Steve Rogers
S. Rogers
3.19
2827.2
393
158
152
.510
393
1,616
129
37
0
2,614
1,001
1,121
151
873
43
0
75
11,666
88
5.14
2.78
1.85
0.48
13.9
7.5
1.23
.274
3.57
8.32
StatMuse has game-level data for ERA and innings pitched going back to the 1901 season.
Some of the information used here was obtained free of charge from Retrosheet.

More Dodgers Stats

Team Rankings

HR

244

2nd

R

825

2nd

SO

1,505

1st

ERA

3.95

17th

2025 Division Standings
TEAMWLPCTGB
Dodgers Dodgers
93
69
.574
Padres Padres
90
72
.556
3.0
Giants Giants
81
81
.500
12.0
Diamondbacks Diamondbacks
80
82
.494
13.0
Rockies Rockies
43
119
.265
50.0
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Mon
10/27
TOR TOR
@
LAD LAD
8:00 PM
Tue
10/28
TOR TOR
@
LAD LAD
8:00 PM
Wed
10/29
TOR TOR
@
LAD LAD
8:00 PM
Fri
10/31
LAD LAD
@
TOR TOR
8:00 PM
Sat
11/1
LAD LAD
@
TOR TOR
8:00 PM
Last Game
LAD Dodgers

1 - 1

5

Final

1

TOR Blue Jays

1 - 1

Sat 25 Oct 2025

MLB 2025 Batting Leaders

MLB 2025 Pitching Leaders

MLB Fantasy 2025

MLB 2025 Betting

MLB 2025 Division Standings

NL EastWLPCTGB
Phillies Phillies
96
66
.593
Mets Mets
83
79
.512
13.0
NL CentralWLPCTGB
Brewers Brewers
97
65
.599
Cubs Cubs
92
70
.568
5.0
NL WestWLPCTGB
Dodgers Dodgers
93
69
.574
Padres Padres
90
72
.556
3.0
AL EastWLPCTGB
Blue Jays Blue Jays
94
68
.580
Yankees Yankees
94
68
.580
AL CentralWLPCTGB
Guardians Guardians
88
74
.543
Tigers Tigers
87
75
.537
1.0
AL WestWLPCTGB
Mariners Mariners
90
72
.556
Astros Astros
87
75
.537
3.0

MLB 2025 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Tue
9/16
CHC CHC
@
PIT PIT
8-4
Tue
9/16
CIN CIN
@
STL STL
6-2
Tue
9/16
SFG SFG
@
AZ AZ
5-1
Tue
9/16
ATL ATL
@
WSH WSH
9-4
Tue
9/16
CLE CLE
@
DET DET
4-0

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Mon
10/27
TOR TOR
@
LAD LAD
8:00 PM
Tue
10/28
TOR TOR
@
LAD LAD
8:00 PM
Wed
10/29
TOR TOR
@
LAD LAD
8:00 PM
Fri
10/31
LAD LAD
@
TOR TOR
8:00 PM
Sat
11/1
LAD LAD
@
TOR TOR
8:00 PM