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1938 American League Pitching Leaders

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Other Leagues: Major Leagues, NAL, NL, NN2

Pennant Winner: New York Yankees

AL Most Valuable Player: Jimmie Foxx

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1938 AL Menu

American League Pitching Leaders

Wins Above Replacement--all

Wins Above Replacement A single number that presents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player (think AAA or AAAA) would add. Scale for a single-season: 8+ MVP Quality, 5+ All-Star Quality, 2+ Starter, 0-2 Reserve, < 0 Replacement Level Developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com

1. Foxx • BOS 7.4

2. Greenberg • DET 6.5

3. Clift • SLB 6.3

4. Cronin • BOS 6.1

5. Ruffing • NYY 6.0

6. Lee • CHW 5.9

7. DiMaggio • NYY 5.6

8. Averill • CLE 5.4

9. Myer • WSH 5.2

Travis • WSH 5.2

WAR for Pitchers

Wins Above Replacement for Pitchers A single number that presents the number of wins the player added to the team above what a replacement player (think AAA or AAAA) would add. This value includes defensive support and includes additional value for high leverage situations. Scale: 8+ MVP Quality, 5+ All-Star Quality, 2+ Starter, 0-2 Reserve, < 0 Replacement Level Developed by Sean Smith of BaseballProjection.com

1. Lee • CHW 5.5

2. Ruffing • NYY 5.3

3. Harder • CLE 5.2

4. Grove • BOS 5.1

Feller • CLE 5.1

6. Caster • PHA 5.0

7. Newsom • SLB 4.8

8. Lyons • CHW 4.6

9. Rigney • CHW 4.6

10. Gomez • NYY 4.6

Earned Run Average

9 * ER / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played. Bold indicates lowest ERA using current stats Gold means awarded ERA title at end of year.

1. Grove • BOS 3.08

2. Ruffing • NYY 3.31

3. Gomez • NYY 3.35

4. Leonard • WSH 3.43

5. Lee • CHW 3.49

6. Rigney • CHW 3.56

7. Hadley • NYY 3.60

8. Lyons • CHW 3.70

9. Harder • CLE 3.83

10. Pearson • NYY 3.97

Wins

1. Ruffing • NYY 21

2. Newsom • SLB 20

3. Gomez • NYY 18

4. Feller • CLE 17

Harder • CLE 17

6. Pearson • NYY 16

Caster • PHA 16

8. Bagby • BOS 15

Stratton • CHW 15

Ferrell • 2TM 15

Wilson • BOS 15

Win-Loss %

Win-Loss Percentage W / (W + L) For players, leaders need one decision for every ten team games. For managers, minimum to qualify for leading is 320 games.

1. Grove • BOS .778

2. Ruffing • NYY .750

3. Chandler • NYY .737

4. Ostermueller • BOS .722

5. Pearson • NYY .696

6. Allen • CLE .636

7. Harder • CLE .630

8. Stratton • CHW .625

9. Feller • CLE .607

10. Ferrell • 2TM .600

Gomez • NYY .600

Walks & Hits per IP

(BB + H)/IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Leonard • WSH 1.227

2. Stratton • CHW 1.299

3. Ruffing • NYY 1.326

4. Harder • CLE 1.329

5. Chandler • NYY 1.337

6. Allen • CLE 1.350

7. Grove • BOS 1.350

8. Hadley • NYY 1.380

9. Lee • CHW 1.410

10. Rigney • CHW 1.413

Hits per 9 IP

9 x H / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Feller • CLE 7.293

2. Allen • CLE 8.505

3. Pearson • NYY 8.822

4. Rigney • CHW 8.838

5. Hadley • NYY 8.875

6. Leonard • WSH 8.906

7. Ruffing • NYY 8.951

8. Stratton • CHW 8.984

9. Gomez • NYY 9.000

10. Newsom • SLB 9.118

Bases On Balls per 9 IP

9 x BB / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Leonard • WSH 2.136

2. Harder • CLE 2.325

3. Lyons • CHW 2.404

4. Chandler • NYY 2.459

5. Thomas • PHA 2.628

6. Stratton • CHW 2.705

7. Gill • DET 2.744

8. Grove • BOS 2.859

9. Ostermueller • BOS 2.955

10. Ruffing • NYY 2.984

Strikeouts per 9 IP

9 x SO / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Feller • CLE 7.779

2. Newsom • SLB 6.170

3. Mills • SLB 5.734

4. Grove • BOS 5.444

5. Allen • CLE 5.040

6. Gomez • NYY 4.858

7. Ruffing • NYY 4.621

8. Rigney • CHW 4.527

9. Wilson • BOS 4.438

10. Pearson • NYY 4.366

Games Played

Games Played or Pitched

1. Humphries • CLE 45

2. Newsom • SLB 44

3. Appleton • WSH 43

Bagby • BOS 43

Smith • PHA 43

6. Caster • PHA 42

Thomas • PHA 42

Kelley • 2TM 42

9. Coffman • DET 39

Feller • CLE 39

Saves

1. Murphy • NYY 11

2. McKain • BOS 6

Humphries • CLE 6

4. Appleton • WSH 5

Potter • PHA 5

6. Smith • PHA 4

Harder • CLE 4

Eisenstat • DET 4

9. Johnson • SLB 3

Hogsett • WSH 3

Galehouse • CLE 3

Cole • SLB 3

Innings Pitched

1. Newsom • SLB 329.2

2. Caster • PHA 281.1

3. Feller • CLE 277.2

4. Ruffing • NYY 247.1

5. Lee • CHW 245.1

6. Harder • CLE 240.0

7. Gomez • NYY 239.0

8. Leonard • WSH 223.1

9. Thomas • PHA 212.1

10. Mills • SLB 210.1

Strikeouts

1. Feller • CLE 240

2. Newsom • SLB 226

3. Mills • SLB 134

4. Gomez • NYY 129

5. Ruffing • NYY 127

6. Allen • CLE 112

Caster • PHA 112

8. Krakauskas • WSH 104

9. Harder • CLE 102

10. Bridges • DET 101

Games Started

1. Newsom • SLB 40

Caster • PHA 40

3. Feller • CLE 36

4. Gomez • NYY 32

5. Leonard • WSH 31

Ruffing • NYY 31

7. Lee • CHW 30

8. Harder • CLE 29

Thomas • PHA 29

10. Ross • PHA 28

Complete Games

Complete Game

1. Newsom • SLB 31

2. Ruffing • NYY 22

3. Gomez • NYY 20

Feller • CLE 20

Caster • PHA 20

6. Lee • CHW 18

7. Pearson • NYY 17

Lyons • CHW 17

Stratton • CHW 17

10. Mills • SLB 15

Harder • CLE 15

Leonard • WSH 15

Shutouts

Shutouts No runs allowed and a complete game.

1. Gomez • NYY 4

2. Wilson • BOS 3

Ruffing • NYY 3

Leonard • WSH 3

5. Kelley • 2TM 2

Whitehead • CHW 2

Harder • CLE 2

Feller • CLE 2

Caster • PHA 2

Chandler • NYY 2

Home Runs

Home Runs Hit/Allowed

1. Newsom • SLB 30

2. Nelson • PHA 29

3. Caster • PHA 25

4. Ross • PHA 23

Thomas • PHA 23

6. Stratton • CHW 18

Hildebrand • SLB 18

Whitehill • CLE 18

Ferrell • 2TM 18

10. Harder • CLE 16

Ruffing • NYY 16

Rigney • CHW 16

Wilson • BOS 16

Mills • SLB 16

Bases on Balls

Bases on Balls/Walks

1. Feller • CLE 208

2. Newsom • SLB 192

3. Caster • PHA 117

4. Mills • SLB 116

5. Chase • WSH 113

Kennedy • DET 113

Pearson • NYY 113

8. Gomez • NYY 99

9. Lee • CHW 94

10. Wilson • BOS 91

Hits

Hits/Hits Allowed

1. Newsom • SLB 334

2. Caster • PHA 310

3. Thomas • PHA 259

4. Harder • CLE 257

5. Lee • CHW 252

6. Ruffing • NYY 246

7. Ferrell • 2TM 245

8. Gomez • NYY 239

9. Lyons • CHW 238

10. Feller • CLE 225

Strikeouts / Base On Balls

SO/W or SO/BB For recent years, pitching leaders need 1 IP per team game played. No batting leaders computed.

1. Grove • BOS 1.904

2. Harder • CLE 1.645

3. Ruffing • NYY 1.549

4. Stratton • CHW 1.464

5. Allen • CLE 1.383

6. Gomez • NYY 1.303

7. Leonard • WSH 1.283

8. Newsom • SLB 1.177

9. Rigney • CHW 1.167

10. Mills • SLB 1.155

Home Runs per 9 IP

9 x HR / IP For recent years, leaders need 1 IP per team game played

1. Gomez • NYY 0.264

2. Chandler • NYY 0.366

3. Bagby • BOS 0.408

4. Feller • CLE 0.421

5. Grove • BOS 0.440

6. Lee • CHW 0.440

7. Leonard • WSH 0.443

8. Pearson • NYY 0.535

9. Ruffing • NYY 0.582

10. Whitehead • CHW 0.589

Losses

1. Caster • PHA 20

2. Newsom • SLB 16

Ross • PHA 16

4. Leonard • WSH 15

Wilson • BOS 15

6. Thomas • PHA 14

7. Knott • 2TM 12

Lee • CHW 12

Mills • SLB 12

Gomez • NYY 12

Potter • PHA 12

Walkup • SLB 12

Earned Runs

Earned Runs Allowed

1. Newsom • SLB 186

2. Caster • PHA 136

3. Feller • CLE 126

4. Ferrell • 2TM 125

5. Mills • SLB 124

6. Nelson • PHA 120

7. Thomas • PHA 116

8. Ross • PHA 109

9. Kennedy • DET 107

10. Hildebrand • SLB 103

Wild Pitches

1. Leonard • WSH 11

2. Pearson • NYY 9

3. Appleton • WSH 8

4. Allen • CLE 7

Rigney • CHW 7

Kennedy • DET 7

7. Kelley • 2TM 6

Hadley • NYY 6

Chase • WSH 6

10. Ferrell • 2TM 5

Bagby • BOS 5

Mills • SLB 5

Thomas • PHA 5

Ostermueller • BOS 5

Caster • PHA 5

Feller • CLE 5

Nelson • PHA 5

Gomez • NYY 5

Hit By Pitch

Times Hit by a Pitch.

1. Whitehill • CLE 9

2. Hogsett • WSH 8

Mills • SLB 8

4. Leonard • WSH 7

Stratton • CHW 7

Feller • CLE 7

7. Harder • CLE 5

Cole • SLB 5

Newsom • SLB 5

Auker • DET 5

Nelson • PHA 5

Batters Faced

1. Newsom • SLB 1,475

2. Caster • PHA 1,250

3. Feller • CLE 1,248

4. Lee • CHW 1,074

5. Ruffing • NYY 1,043

6. Gomez • NYY 1,034

7. Harder • CLE 1,026

8. Mills • SLB 962

9. Thomas • PHA 945

10. Leonard • WSH 939

Games Finished

Games Finished Credited to the last pitcher to appear for a team in a game. Complete Games are not counted as Games Finished.

1. Smith • PHA 27

2. Murphy • NYY 26

3. Humphries • CLE 25

4. Appleton • WSH 23

5. Cole • SLB 21

6. Potter • PHA 20

7. Rigney • CHW 19

8. Hogsett • WSH 18

9. Kelley • 2TM 17

Eisenstat • DET 17

Adjusted ERA+

ERA+ 100*[lgERA/ERA] Adjusted to the player’s ballpark(s).

1. Grove • BOS 160

2. Lee • CHW 142

3. Rigney • CHW 139

4. Ruffing • NYY 138

5. Gomez • NYY 136

6. Lyons • CHW 134

7. Leonard • WSH 132

8. Hadley • NYY 127

9. Gill • DET 124

10. Stratton • CHW 123

Fielding Independent Pitching

Fielding Independent Pitching this stat measures a pitcher's effectiveness at preventing HR, BB, HBP and causing SO <tt>(13*HR + 3*(BB+HBP) - 2*SO)/IP + Constantlg</tt> The constant is set so that each season major-league average FIP is the same as the major-league avg ERA

1. Grove • BOS 3.50

2. Gomez • NYY 3.65

3. Ruffing • NYY 3.91

4. Leonard • WSH 3.94

5. Harder • CLE 3.95

6. Chandler • NYY 4.06

7. Lyons • CHW 4.21

8. Allen • CLE 4.21

9. Lee • CHW 4.29

10. Feller • CLE 4.30

Adj. Pitching Runs

Adjusted Pitching Runs A set of formulas developed by Gary Gillette, Pete Palmer and others that estimates a pitcher’s total contributions to a team’s runs total via linear weights. 0.0 is an avg performance, <0 is worse than avg and >0 is better than avg

1. Ruffing • NYY 36

2. Lee • CHW 33

3. Grove • BOS 33

4. Gomez • NYY 30

5. Rigney • CHW 26

6. Lyons • CHW 26

7. Leonard • WSH 23

8. Harder • CLE 23

9. Feller • CLE 21

10. Stratton • CHW 19

Adj. Pitching Wins

Adjusted Pitching Wins A set of formulas developed by Gary Gillette, Pete Palmer and others that estimates a pitcher’s total contributions to a team’s wins with his arm. 0.0 is an avg performance, <0 is worse than avg and >0 is better than avg

1. Ruffing • NYY 3.5

2. Grove • BOS 3.2

3. Lee • CHW 3.1

4. Gomez • NYY 2.9

5. Lyons • CHW 2.5

6. Rigney • CHW 2.4

7. Leonard • WSH 2.2

8. Harder • CLE 2.1

9. Feller • CLE 1.9

10. Stratton • CHW 1.8

Base-Out Runs Saved (RE24)

Base-Out Runs Saved Given the bases occupied/out situation, how many runs did the pitcher save in the resulting play. Compared to average, so 0 is average, and above 0 is better than average

1. Ruffing • NYY 49.18

2. Gomez • NYY 37.66

3. Grove • BOS 36.63

4. Lyons • CHW 31.92

Lee • CHW 31.92

6. Feller • CLE 30.75

7. Rigney • CHW 28.14

8. Harder • CLE 27.04

9. Hadley • NYY 23.46

10. Eisenstat • DET 19.92

Win Probability Added (WPA)

Win Probability Added by Pitcher Given average teams, this is the change in probability. See <a href='https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/wpa.shtml'>Win Expectancy explainer</a> for details.

1. Ruffing • NYY 4.4

2. Grove • BOS 4.1

3. Harder • CLE 4.0

4. Chandler • NYY 3.3

5. Lee • CHW 3.1

6. Gomez • NYY 3.0

7. Feller • CLE 2.9

8. Eisenstat • DET 2.8

9. Lyons • CHW 2.8

10. Hadley • NYY 1.9

Sit. Wins Saved (WPA/LI)

Situational Wins (WPA/LI) It is the sum of WPA divided by the leverage index for each play. WPA depends greatly on the context of the at bats. This stat does not.

1. Ruffing • NYY 4.1

2. Harder • CLE 2.9

3. Gomez • NYY 2.8

4. Chandler • NYY 2.6

5. Grove • BOS 2.5

6. Lee • CHW 2.3

7. Leonard • WSH 2.2

8. Hadley • NYY 1.9

9. Allen • CLE 1.9

10. Stratton • CHW 1.6

Championship WPA (cWPA)

Championship Win Probability Added by Pitcher Given average teams, this is the change in probability of winning the World Series, displayed in percentage points. See <a href='https://www.baseball-reference.com/about/wpa.shtml'>Win Expectancy explainer</a> for details.

1. Ruffing • NYY 8.7

2. Grove • BOS 7.6

3. Chandler • NYY 7.2

4. Allen • CLE 6.2

5. Murphy • NYY 5.9

6. Gomez • NYY 5.8

7. Harder • CLE 5.3

8. Humphries • CLE 5.0

9. Feller • CLE 4.5

10. Hadley • NYY 3.4

Base-Out Wins Saved (REW)

Base-Out Wins Saved This is the number of wins above average the player was worth by their performance measured by the 24 base-out situations.

1. Ruffing • NYY 4.9

2. Gomez • NYY 3.7

3. Grove • BOS 3.5

4. Lyons • CHW 3.0

5. Lee • CHW 3.0

6. Feller • CLE 2.9

7. Rigney • CHW 2.6

8. Harder • CLE 2.6

9. Hadley • NYY 2.3

10. Chandler • NYY 1.8

A ** by the stat's value indicates the player had fewer than the required number of at bats or plate appearances for the BA, OBP, SLG or OPS title that year. In order to rank the player, the necessary number of hitless at bats were added to the player's season total. The value printed here is their actual value and not the value used to rank them, therefore some numbers may appear out of order.

For rate stats, generally a minimum of 3.1 Plate Appearances/Team Game (batting), 1.0 IP/Team Game (pitching), 0.67 Gm and Chances/Team Game (fielding), 0.2 SB att/Team Game (catchers), 0.1 SB att/Team Game (baserunners only since 1951), and 0.1 decision/Team Game (W-L%) is needed for single-season leaderboards. For pitcher fielding the minimums are reduced by a third. For LF, CF, RF fielding stats, we only have reliable data since 1898, so all leaders are since 1898. Explanation of min. requirements