Dear Chipmaker: What is the highest(best) ERA+ for a season with at least 50 innings pitched?

Question

Hi, I mean ERA-plus, not ERA. ERA-plus is the higher the better, ERA is of course the lower the better. ERA-plus is a pitcher's ERA compared to the average ERA for his ball-park and season. 100 is average. 200 would be 100 percent better than the average.

Eckersley had a 606 in 1990, higher than Papelbon's 515 in 2006, but good answer.

Thanks Craig. And thanks to Chipmaker as always. (By the way, I think I finally learned how to use the search tool for specific stats on baseballreference. Thanks to Chipmaker for showing me.

Answer 1

I'd agree you don't need Chipmaker for this one, but I also wouldn't take anything from someone who condemns a ballplayer using stats -- lesser, older, tiresome stats like AVG -- that utterly fail to showcase that player's strengths, whereas citing his often-league-leading OBP or SLG would quickly and accurately show him to have been the studly man among boys he metaphorically was.

Not even checking, since Craig did all the heavy lifting, but I would have thought of Eck quickly as well (and then verified it, sure). That was a genuine barnburner season he posted.

If we relax the minimum innings requirement just a wee bit, we find Buck O'Brien of the 1911 Boston Red Sox, who in 47.2 IP allowed 2 earned runs for a 0.38 ERA and a whiplashing 866 ERA+.

And, for the Yankees fen, to have something good to think about the 2007 season (wildcard berths being sheer misery and all), young Joba "The Hutt" Chamberlain allowed one ER in 24.0 IP for a 0.38 ERA and a whopping 1192 ERA+, the highest ever for a season of 20+ IP.

I'll stop now since smaller IP totals reduce the exercise to silliness. (Fake! I checked. Joba's still #1.)

Answer 2

That's easy, you don't need Chipmaker for this one, I got the answer right here. Jonathan Papelbon of the Red Sox had a .92 ERA in 2006 and pitched 68.3 Innings, 35 saves and 75 K's

http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/papeljo01.shtml


Chip, what about Papelbon and his .92 era in 68.3 innings in 2005. You didn't mention that stat.

Answer 3

OK, that makes more sense if you're looking for ERA+.

Eckersley's 606 in 1990 is the record, with Rob Murphy's 542 in 1986 taking second place.

Here's a list of everyone who has broken the 300 mark with 50+ innings:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/hFhb