Top 25 MLB pitching seasons of all time

11. Dutch Leonard, 1914

• The Numbers: 19-5, 0.96 ERA, 7.1 SO/9, 0.886 WHIP, 7 shutouts, 1.95 FIP, 279 ERA+

Dutch Leonard is the only pitcher in MLB post-1900 to have an ERA below 1.00 for a full season. Leonard was not a typical workhorse of his time, never topping 300 innings, but he was one of the best strikeout artists of his time. Leonard was incredibly talented and blessed with phenomenal velocity, but he constantly feuded with managers, umpires, and teammates.

Leonard loved the nightlife, and it caused him to waste his talent at times. He put it all together in 1914, his second year in the big leagues. Leonard allowed more than two earned runs in only two starts. His ERA was still tied for the all-time lowest in August before it rose slightly. A wrist injury ended his epic season on September 1.

Because Leonard injured his wrist and lost a month of playing time, he did not reach 20 wins, the most important statistic for a pitcher at the time. ERA was still becoming recognized as an important statistic for evaluating pitchers, and Leonard’s season was not met with great fanfare by the press or even himself. The 1914 season did earn Leonard a raise, but he showed up out of shape in 1915 and began his trend of feuding with managers.

Leonard was eventually suspended for two years from 1922 to 1924 over a contract dispute. His feud with manager Ty Cobb in Detroit blew up in 1925 after Cobb forced Leonard to pitch a complete game despite having allowed 12 runs. Leonard retired after Cobb waived him and became a successful grape farmer in California. He made over $2 million by the time of his death.