ERA (Earned Run Average)
Earned run average is the most recognized pitching stat. It measures how many earned runs a pitcher allows per 9 innings — essentially, how many runs score that are the pitcher’s fault (unearned runs from errors are excluded). A 3.00 ERA means 3 earned runs per 9 innings.
ERA has been the standard for evaluating pitchers since the early 1900s, and it’s still the first number most fans check. Sub-3.00 is ace-level, 3.00–3.50 is very good, and anything over 5.00 usually means trouble.
The problem with ERA is that it’s heavily influenced by things the pitcher can’t control: the defense behind them, the ballpark, and luck on balls in play. Two pitchers with identical stuff can have very different ERAs depending on their team’s fielding. That’s why NUT Score uses FIP instead — it strips out those external factors and focuses on what the pitcher actually did.
What is a good ERA?
ERA is not used in NUT Score. NUT uses FIP instead, which isolates what the pitcher actually controls (strikeouts, walks, home runs) and removes the impact of defense and luck.
How NUT Score works →