ERA below 2

A couple of days ago, I watched some highlights on the MLB website. In a highlight, a pitcher was dominant and eventually, he finished the season with an ERA below 2. An ERA below 2, well, that made me think about a question.

 

It’s not easy to pitch in the majors. In this century, is it often to see a pitcher finish a season with an ERA below 2?

 

To understand a little bit more, I decided to check on the MLB website.

 

In the first 4 years in this century, no qualified pitchers finished a season with an ERA below 2. Nonetheless, in 2005, Roger Clemens made 32 starts for the Astros, tossing 211.1 innings. He owned a 1.87 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Opponents only batted .198 against Clemens. Back then, he was 42 years old and finished 3rd in the NL Cy Young award voting.

From 2006 to 2012, there weren’t any qualified pitchers who finished a season with an ERA below 2. However, in 2013, Clayton Kershaw had a great season. He made 33 starts for the Dodgers, posting a 1.83 ERA and a 0.92 WHIP over 236.0 innings. He punched out 232 batters and opponents’ batting average against Kershaw was only .195. With outstanding performance, Kershaw won the 2013 NL Cy Young award. Additionally, the next year, Clayton Kershaw was dominant again. He made 27 starts for the Dodgers and threw 198.1 innings. Kershaw owned a 1.77 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. He had 239 strikeouts and opponents only batted .196 against him. The 2014 season is surely an unforgettable one for Kershaw, he unanimously won the NL Cy Young award. Furthermore, he won the 2014 NL MVP award.

In 2015, Kershaw didn’t finish the season with an ERA below 2. Nevertheless, his teammate did. Zack Greinke was tremendous on the mound, posting a 1.66 ERA and a 0.84 WHIP over 222.2 innings. Greinke made 32 starts for the Dodgers in 2015 and punched out 200 batters. However, Greinke didn’t win the 2015 NL Cy Young award. The NL Cy Young award went to Jake Arrieta, who made 33 starts and earned 22 wins in 2015. Arrieta posted a 1.77 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP in 229.0 innings.

From 2016 to 2017, no qualified pitchers finished a season with an ERA below 2. But, in 2018, there were 2 qualified pitchers who finished the season with an ERA below 2. Jacob deGrom made 32 starts for the Mets, posting a 1.70 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP across 217.0 innings. He punched out 269 batters and the 2018 NL Cy Young award winner was Jacob deGrom. At the same time, Blake Snell won the 2018 AL Cy Young award. He owned a 1.89 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over 180.2 innings. Snell made 31 starts for the Rays in 2018 and threw 221 strikeouts. Batting average against Snell was only .178 in that season.

In 2019, no qualified pitchers had an ERA below 2. In 2020, it was a shortened season, and 3 pitchers finished the season with an ERA below 2. Shane Bieber made 12 starts and had a 1.63 ERA in 2020. Meanwhile, Trevor Bauer and Dallas Keuchel each made 11 starts. Bauer owned a 1.73 ERA and a 0.79 WHIP. Keuchel posted a 1.99 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP. Bieber was the 2020 AL Cy Young award winner and Bauer won the NL Cy Young award.

Finally, no pitchers had an ERA below 2 in 2021. Nonetheless, in 2022, Justin Verlander, who missed the entire 2021 season due to recovering from Tommy John surgery, went back to the mound and he was dominant. Verlander made 28 starts for the Astros in 2022, posting a 1.75 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP over 175 innings. He punched out 185 batters and had a .186 BAA. Unanimously, he was the 2022 AL Cy Young award winner. But, last season, no qualified pitchers finished the season with an ERA below 2.

If a pitcher finishes a season with an ERA below 3, we can easily call him a good pitcher or a great pitcher. Moreover, a pitcher finishes a season with an ERA below 2, he must be outstanding, right? It’s not common to see a pitcher who finished a season with an ERA below 2. Additionally, it’s highly possible to see a pitcher who finished a season with an ERA below 2 and won the Cy Young award. However, it isn't guaranteed. And, we have to take a look at a pitcher. In this century, Clayton Kershaw finished a season with an ERA below 2 twice. There’s no doubt that he’s an outstanding pitcher in this generation.