Top 25 Earned Run Average in 1981 in the American League

Earned Run Average : 1981 American League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"Although baseball decided to extend the regular season deeper into October to play 162 games (after the 09-11 disaster), why not just play 154? Baseball has dealt with shortened seasons before. (Bud) Selig spoke about the sanctity of playing 162 games, but baseball played 154 games until 1961. Baseball should have just let the games go and continued with the current schedule." - Joe Morgan on ESPN (September 19, 2001)

1981 Earned Run Average Leaders
Top 25 in the American League

Name Earned Run Average Team Rank

Dave Righetti 2.05 (2.0506) New York Yankees 1

Sammy Stewart 2.32 (2.3234) Baltimore Orioles 2

Steve McCatty 2.33 (2.3267) Oakland Athletics 3

Dennis Lamp 2.41 (2.4094) Chicago White Sox 4

Tommy John 2.63 (2.6295) New York Yankees 5

Britt Burns 2.64 (2.6425) Chicago White Sox 6

Larry Gura 2.72 (2.7157) Kansas City Royals 7

Ron Guidry 2.76 (2.7638) New York Yankees 8

Bert Blyleven 2.88 (2.8808) Cleveland Indians 9

Ken Forsch 2.88 (2.8824) California Angels 10

Dennis Leonard 2.99 (2.9901) Kansas City Royals 11

Rick Langford 2.99 (2.9949) Oakland Athletics 12

Dan Petry 3.00 (3.0000) Detroit Tigers 13

Milt Wilcox 3.03 (3.0301) Detroit Tigers 14

Jack Morris 3.05 (3.0455) Detroit Tigers 15

Doc Medich 3.08 (3.0768) Texas Rangers 16

John Denny 3.15 (3.1510) Cleveland Indians 17

Dave Stieb 3.19 (3.1851) Toronto Blue Jays 18

Scott McGregor 3.26 (3.2625) Baltimore Orioles 19

Mike Witt 3.28 (3.2791) California Angels 20

Rick Honeycutt 3.31 (3.3133) Texas Rangers 21

Dennis Martinez 3.32 (3.3184) Baltimore Orioles 22

Matt Keough 3.40 (3.3991) Oakland Athletics 23

Steve Renko 3.44 (3.4412) California Angels 24

Steve Trout 3.47 (3.4652) Chicago White Sox 25

Name Earned Run Average Team Rank

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

Future Hall of Famer Sammy Sosa is best known for wearing number twenty-one; however, when the young slugger played for the Chicago White Sox (1989-1991) he only wore number twenty-five.

Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).

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