ERA Calculator

Enter earned runs and innings pitched below. The calculator converts fractional innings automatically: ".1" means one-third of an inning (one out recorded), ".2" means two-thirds (two outs recorded). Select your innings-per-game format to match your league.

ERA equals earned runs multiplied by innings per regulation game, divided by innings pitched. In formula form: ERA = (Earned Runs x Innings per Game) / Innings Pitched. This gives you the average number of earned runs a pitcher allows per complete game at their current rate.

Step-by-Step Example

A high school pitcher has allowed 15 earned runs over 52.1 innings pitched. High school baseball uses 7-inning games per NFHS rules, but let's calculate both formats to show how the innings multiplier changes the result:

• 9-inning ERA: (15 x 9) / 52.33 = 135 / 52.33 = 2.58
• 7-inning ERA: (15 x 7) / 52.33 = 105 / 52.33 = 2.01

The same pitcher gets a different ERA number depending on the innings-per-game standard. This is why you should always specify which format you're using when comparing pitchers across leagues.

Fractional Innings Explained

Baseball records partial innings using a decimal that does not follow standard math. Instead, the decimal represents outs recorded in an incomplete inning:

The calculator above handles this conversion for you. If you type "6.1" it treats it as 6 and 1/3 innings, not 6.1 as a regular decimal.

Earned Runs vs. Unearned Runs

Only earned runs count toward ERA. MLB's official rules(opens in new tab) define an earned run as any run that scores without the help of an error or a passed ball. If a runner reaches base on a fielding error and later scores, that run is unearned and excluded from the ERA calculation.

The distinction matters for coaching. A pitcher whose ERA looks high might be suffering from poor defense behind them. Comparing earned runs to total runs allowed reveals how much the defense contributes to (or detracts from) a pitcher's stat line.

Softball uses 7-inning regulation games, so the standard ERA formula becomes: ERA = (Earned Runs x 7) / Innings Pitched. The calculator above supports this when you select "7 innings" from the dropdown.

College softball, most high school softball leagues, and high school baseball (per NFHS rules) all use 7-inning games. A 2.00 ERA in a 7-inning format means the pitcher allows 2 earned runs per 7 innings pitched.

Example: Softball ERA

A college softball pitcher has given up 8 earned runs over 63 innings pitched. ERA = (8 x 7) / 63 = 56 / 63 = 0.89. Sub-1.00 ERAs are more common in softball than baseball partly because the 7-inning multiplier produces lower numbers and the shorter pitching distance (43 feet vs. 60.5 feet in baseball) reduces batter reaction time.

Little League and many youth baseball programs play 6-inning games. For these leagues, ERA = (Earned Runs x 6) / Innings Pitched. Select "6 innings" in the calculator to get the correct number.

Youth ERA numbers run lower than MLB-standard 9-inning ERAs by definition. A pitcher with 10 earned runs over 30 innings in a 6-inning league has an ERA of 2.00. The same numbers calculated on a 9-inning basis would yield 3.00. Neither number is wrong, they just use different scales.

Why the Innings Format Matters

Comparing ERAs across formats without converting leads to misleading conclusions. If a 12U coach reports a pitcher's ERA as "1.50" using the 6-inning formula, and a high school coach reports "1.75" using 7 innings, those two pitchers are actually performing at the same rate: both allow 1 earned run per 4 innings pitched.

When tracking pitcher development over multiple seasons where the innings format changes (youth to high school to college), convert all ERAs to the same base for accurate comparison. The simplest approach: divide earned runs by innings pitched to get a per-inning rate, then multiply by whatever standard you prefer.

Yes, a 2.8 ERA is very good. At the MLB level, FanGraphs rates(opens in new tab) an ERA of 2.50 or below as elite and anything from 2.51 to 3.00 as great. So 2.8 falls in the great range for professional pitchers.

ERA Rating Scale (9-Inning Standard)

These benchmarks are based on MLB 9-inning data and shift slightly from year to year depending on the run-scoring environment. Relief pitchers typically perform about 0.50 runs better than these thresholds.

Common ERA Questions Answered

• Is a 2.75 ERA good? Very good. It falls in the "great" tier. Only a handful of MLB starters finish a season below 2.75.
• Is a 3.89 ERA good? It's below average for an MLB starter. In college or high school ball, that same number is closer to average because of wider talent gaps between lineups.
• What is a good ERA in high school? Most competitive high school pitchers carry ERAs between 1.50 and 3.00 on a 7-inning basis. The best aces in a state will sit below 1.00.
• What is a good ERA in softball? College softball ERAs cluster lower than baseball. An ERA under 2.00 is strong, and top D1 pitchers regularly post ERAs below 1.00.

WHIP (Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched) measures baserunner traffic rather than runs scored. The formula: WHIP = (Walks + Hits) / Innings Pitched. Where ERA tells you how many runs a pitcher gives up, WHIP tells you how many baserunners they allow.

WHIP Rating Scale

According to FanGraphs' WHIP reference(opens in new tab), these are the standard benchmarks:

ERA vs. WHIP: When Each Stat Tells a Different Story

A pitcher with a low ERA but a high WHIP is getting lucky: they're putting runners on base frequently but stranding them. That pattern usually corrects over time, meaning the ERA will likely rise. Conversely, a high ERA with a low WHIP suggests bad sequencing luck where the few baserunners who reach are all scoring. That pitcher is probably better than their ERA shows.

Tracking both stats together gives a more complete picture of pitcher performance than either one alone.

A reverse ERA calculation answers the question: "How many earned runs can this pitcher allow in their next outing to reach a target ERA?" The formula rearranges to: Earned Runs Allowed = (Target ERA x Total IP) / Innings per Game.

Example: Targeting a 3.00 ERA

A pitcher currently has 18 earned runs over 50 innings in a 9-inning league (current ERA: 3.24). They want to get their ERA below 3.00 by the end of their next start, which they expect to last about 6 innings.

• After the next start, total IP = 56 innings
• For a 3.00 ERA: Earned Runs = (3.00 x 56) / 9 = 18.67
• The pitcher currently has 18 earned runs, so they can allow at most 0 earned runs in those 6 innings

Reverse ERA calculations help coaches set concrete targets for upcoming games. Instead of a vague "pitch better," the pitcher knows exactly what they need: a shutout in this case.

ERA and WHIP capture game-day performance, but they don't show the full picture of pitcher development. Pitch velocity trends, command consistency, and off-speed development all contribute to long-term improvement that raw stats might not reflect immediately.

For coaches who track pitcher stats across an entire season, connecting game performance with practice data reveals patterns that box scores miss. If a pitcher's velocity drops in the 5th inning every start, that is a conditioning issue. If their ERA spikes against left-handed hitters, that is a pitch-mix issue. These details live in the data between starts, not in the ERA column.

Platforms like Striveon let coaches track pitcher evaluations alongside game stats, connecting practice assessments with competitive results. See how Striveon tracks pitcher performance from practice to game day.

For a deeper look at tracking baseball players beyond pitching, see our baseball scorecard guide, which covers game-day scoring notation and stat-tracking fundamentals.