Top 25 Earned Run Average in 1978 in the American League

Earned Run Average : 1978 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)

1978 Earned Run Average Leaders
Top 25 in the American League

Name Earned Run Average Team Rank

Ron Guidry 1.74 (1.7430) New York Yankees 1

Jon Matlack 2.27 (2.2667) Texas Rangers 2

Mike Caldwell 2.36 (2.3625) Milwaukee Brewers 3

Jim Palmer 2.46 (2.4628) Baltimore Orioles 4

Dave Goltz 2.49 (2.4917) Minnesota Twins 5

Larry Gura 2.72 (2.7203) Kansas City Royals 6

Dennis Eckersley 2.99 (2.9851) Boston Red Sox 7

Ed Figueroa 2.99 (2.9881) New York Yankees 8

Geoff Zahn 3.03 (3.0317) Minnesota Twins 9

Fergie Jenkins 3.04 (3.0361) Texas Rangers 10

Rich Gale 3.09 (3.0884) Kansas City Royals 11

Dave Rozema 3.14 (3.1385) Detroit Tigers 12

Rick Waits 3.20 (3.2041) Cleveland Indians 13

Lary Sorensen 3.21 (3.2066) Milwaukee Brewers 14

Matt Keough 3.24 (3.2382) Oakland Athletics 15

Luis Tiant 3.31 (3.3061) Boston Red Sox 16

Scott McGregor 3.32 (3.3219) Baltimore Orioles 17

Dennis Leonard 3.33 (3.3292) Kansas City Royals 18

John Henry Johnson 3.39 (3.3871) Oakland Athletics 19

Paul Splittorff 3.40 (3.4008) Kansas City Royals 20

Rick Langford 3.43 (3.4326) Oakland Athletics 21

Bill Lee 3.46 (3.4576) Boston Red Sox 22

Dennis Martinez 3.52 (3.5175) Baltimore Orioles 23

Frank Tanana 3.65 (3.6527) California Angels 24

Nolan Ryan 3.72 (3.7202) California Angels 25

Name Earned Run Average Team Rank

Did you know that more than forty players have worn the number twenty-five for the Boston Red Sox � including Jack Clark, Denny Galehouse, Dizzy Trout and Tony Conigliaro.

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

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.

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