League Leaders Daily Quiz

Pittsburgh Pirates Earned Run Average Leaders

Career totals with the Pirates and the best single seasons in club history. Includes the 2026 season through September 27: these records are rebuilt every night, so a mark set yesterday is here this morning.

Pirates records →

Vic Willis holds the Pirates career record with 2.08 earned run average. The single-season record is 1.21, by Denny Driscoll in 1882.

ERA W SO SV WHIP IP K/9 BB/9 K/BB SHO CG GS G L BB W-L%

Rate records use the league's own minimums: a season needs the standard 1.0 inning per team game with the club, a career 1,000+ innings pitched with the club.

All-time Pirates leaders

Career totals with the club
# Player With the club ERA G
1 Vic Willis Vic Willis 1906–1909 2.08 160
2 Lefty Leifield Lefty Leifield 1905–1912 2.38 239
3 Sam Leever Sam Leever 1898–1910 2.47 388
4 Deacon Phillippe Deacon Phillippe 1900–1911 2.50 330
5 Howie Camnitz Howie Camnitz 1904–1913 2.63 277
6 Kent Tekulve Kent Tekulve 1974–1985 2.68 722
7 Babe Adams Babe Adams 1907–1926 2.74 481
7 Wilbur Cooper Wilbur Cooper 1912–1924 2.74 469
9 Jesse Tannehill 1897–1902 2.75 192
10 Ed Morris Ed Morris 1885–1889 2.81 241
11 Doug Drabek Doug Drabek 1987–1992 3.02 199
12 Bob Veale Bob Veale 1962–1972 3.06 341
13 Al McBean Al McBean 1961–1970 3.08 376
14 Pud Galvin Pud Galvin 1885–1892 3.10 246
15 Dock Ellis Dock Ellis 1968–1979 3.16 231
16 John Candelaria John Candelaria 1975–1993 3.17 345
17 Jim Rooker 1973–1980 3.29 213
18 Max Butcher Max Butcher 1939–1945 3.34 202
19 Rip Sewell Rip Sewell 1938–1949 3.43 385
20 Roy Face Roy Face 1953–1968 3.46 802
21 Bruce Kison 1971–1979 3.49 255
22 Larry French Larry French 1929–1934 3.50 254
22 Lee Meadows Lee Meadows 1923–1929 3.50 183
22 Bob Moose Bob Moose 1967–1976 3.50 289
25 Rick Rhoden Rick Rhoden 1979–1986 3.51 215

Single-season Pirates records

Best seasons in club history
# Player Season ERA G
1 Denny Driscoll Denny Driscoll 1882 1.21 23
2 Howie Camnitz Howie Camnitz 1908 1.56 38
3 Howie Camnitz Howie Camnitz 1909 1.62 41
4 Sam Leever Sam Leever 1907 1.66 31
5 Vic Willis Vic Willis 1906 1.73 41
6 Wilbur Cooper Wilbur Cooper 1916 1.87 42
6 Lefty Leifield Lefty Leifield 1906 1.87 37
8 Jesse Tannehill 1902 1.95 26
9 Paul Skenes Paul Skenes 2025 1.97 32
10 Babe Adams Babe Adams 1919 1.98 34
11 Al Mamaux Al Mamaux 1915 2.04 38
12 Patsy Flaherty Patsy Flaherty 1904 2.05 29
12 Deacon Phillippe Deacon Phillippe 1902 2.05 31
12 Bob Veale Bob Veale 1968 2.05 36
15 Sam Leever Sam Leever 1903 2.06 36
16 Vic Willis Vic Willis 1908 2.07 41
17 Sam Leever Sam Leever 1908 2.10 38
17 Lefty Leifield Lefty Leifield 1908 2.10 34
19 Wilbur Cooper Wilbur Cooper 1918 2.11 38
20 Steve Blass Steve Blass 1968 2.12 33
21 Wilbur Cooper Wilbur Cooper 1914 2.13 40
22 Babe Adams Babe Adams 1913 2.15 43
22 Howie Camnitz Howie Camnitz 1907 2.15 31
22 Vern Law Vern Law 1965 2.15 29
25 Babe Adams Babe Adams 1920 2.16 35