ERA+
This ‘new’ statistic essentially compares a pitcher’s ERA to the league average, and is also adjusted for ballpark. Average ERA+ is always 100, with the best starters each year potentially surpassing 150. (Relievers can go higher.)
ERA+ is not use-dependent, which makes it an excellent counter-balance to WAR in assessing pitcher performance.
As a prototypical ‘new’ stat,’ it is also a closely watched category among Cy Young voters who emphasize SABRmetric tools.
The normalization to a base of 100 also makes it easily expressible in comparative situations…and there is no situation more comparative than awards voting. To state that a pitcher with a 150 ERA + was 50 percent better than the average pitcher is an absolute and irrefutable fact.
The only problem with relying solely on ERA+ is that unlike WAR, it does not factor in usage. Jacob DeGrom has an ERA+ of 366 this season. Too bad he hasn’t pitched a single inning since early July.
This is Burnes’ showpiece category. His ERA+ to date is 178, the best in the Majors so far.
But Burnes has plenty of competition. Scherzer (177) and Buehler (172) are right on his heels, as is his teammate, Woodruff (170).
The category hurts Wheeler, whose 139 ERA+ is good but not in the same ballpark as his competitors for the award. Wainwright, too, has a poor ERA+ by the standards of this group.
Pitcher         ERA+
1             Burnes                 178
2             Scherzer        177
3             Buehler        172
4             Woodruff       170
5             Miley                    163
6             Gausman            161
7             Wheeler        139
8             Wainwright        131