Earned Run Average : 1998 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:

"What people don't understand is, one day off for Cal Ripken would not recharge his batteries. One day would not do it. He's not playing 2,130 games in a row. Cal is ONLY playing 162 games a year." - Frank Robinson in The Sporting News (September 11, 1995)
 

1998 Earned Run Average Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Roger Clemens 2.65 (2.6463) Toronto Blue Jays 1
Pedro Martinez 2.89 (2.8887) Boston Red Sox 2
Kenny Rogers 3.17 (3.1676) Oakland Athletics 3
Chuck Finley 3.39 (3.3851) Anaheim Angels 4
David Wells 3.49 (3.4852) New York Yankees 5
Mike Mussina 3.49 (3.4895) Baltimore Orioles 6
Jamie Moyer 3.53 (3.5334) Seattle Mariners 7
David Cone 3.55 (3.5538) New York Yankees 8
Rolando Arrojo 3.56 (3.5644) Tampa Bay Devil Rays 9
Bartolo Colon 3.71 (3.7059) Cleveland Indians 10
Brian Moehler 3.90 (3.9036) Detroit Tigers 11
Bret Saberhagen 3.96 (3.9600) Boston Red Sox 12
Jeff Fassero 3.97 (3.9659) Seattle Mariners 13
Scott Erickson 4.01 (4.0106) Baltimore Orioles 14
Omar Olivares 4.03 (4.0328) Anaheim Angels 15
Justin Thompson 4.05 (4.0541) Detroit Tigers 16
Hideki Irabu 4.06 (4.0578) New York Yankees 17
Dave Burba 4.11 (4.1096) Cleveland Indians 18
Tony Saunders 4.12 (4.1179) Tampa Bay Devil Rays 19
Aaron Sele 4.23 (4.2320) Texas Rangers 20
Andy Pettitte 4.24 (4.2435) New York Yankees 21
Tim Belcher 4.27 (4.2692) Kansas City Royals 22
Brad Radke 4.30 (4.2964) Minnesota Twins 23
Randy Johnson 4.33 (4.3313) Seattle Mariners 24
Juan Guzman 4.35 (4.3507) Toronto Blue Jays 25
Baltimore Orioles  



The first player from the Angels franchise (they were the California Angels at the time) to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.

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?

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).