​
​
Sign In
  • Support FanGraphs
    FanGraphs Membership
    FanGraphs Shirts
    FanGraphs Mugs
    Gift a Membership
    Donate to FanGraphs
  • Fantasy
    Fantasy Tools
    Fantasy Player Rater
    Auction Calculator
    Ottoneu Fantasy Baseball
    Signup, FAQ, Blog Posts
  • Blogs
    Blog Roll

    FanGraphs
      Podcasts: Effectively Wild

      FanGraphs Prospects

      RotoGraphs
        Podcasts: The Sleeper and The Bust | Field of Streams | Beat the Shift

        Community Research

          Archived Blogs: The Hardball Times | NotGraphs | TechGraphs | FanGraphs+
          Archived THT: THT Live | Dispatch | Fantasy | ShysterBall
          Archived Podcasts: FanGraphs Audio | Chin Music | UMP: The Untitled McDongenhagen Project | Stealing Home | Doing It For Bartolo | OttoGraphs |
        • Projections
          2025 Pre-Season Projections
          ZiPS, ZiPS DC
          Steamer
          Depth Charts
          ATC
          THE BAT, THE BAT X
          OOPSY
          2025 600 PA / 200 IP Projections
          Steamer600, Steamer600 (Update)
          2025 Updated In-Season Projections
          ZiPS (RoS), ZiPS (Update), ZiPS DC (RoS)
          Steamer (RoS), Steamer (Update)
          Depth Charts (RoS)
          ATC DC (RoS)
          THE BAT (RoS), THE BAT X (RoS)
          OOPSY DC (RoS)
          3-Year Projections
          ZiPS 2026, ZiPS 2027
          On-Pace Leaders
          Every Game Played, Games Played %
          Cy Young Award Projections

          Auction Calculator
        • Scores
          Today
          Live Scoreboard, Probable Pitchers
          Live Daily Leaderboards
          Win Probability & Box Scores
          2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019
          AL Games
          NL Games
        • Standings
          2025 Projected Standings
          2025 Playoff Odds, Playoff Odds Graphs
          2024 ZiPS Postseason Game-By-Game Odds
          AL East
          AL Central
          AL West
          NL East
          NL Central
          NL West
        • Leaders
          Major League Leaders
          Batting: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, Career
          Pitching: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, Career
          Fielding: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, Career
          Major League Leaders - Rank
          Batting: Ranking Grid, Compare Players, Compare Stats
          Pitching: Ranking Grid, Compare Players, Compare Stats
          Splits Leaderboards
          Pitch-Type Splits Leaderboards
          Season Stat Grid

          Postseason Leaders
          Batting: 2024, (WS), (LCS), (LDS), (WCS), Career
          Pitching: 2024, (WS), (LCS), (LDS), (WCS), Career

          Spring Training Leaders
          Batting: 2025, 2024, 2023
          Pitching: 2025, 2024, 2023

          KBO Leaders
          Batting, Pitching
          NPB Leaders
          Batting, Pitching

          Minor League Leaders
          AAA: International League, Pacific Coast League
          AA: Eastern League, Southern League, Texas League
          A+: Midwest League, South Atlantic League, Northwest League
          A: California League, Carolina League, Florida State League
          CPX: Arizona, Florida
          R: Dominican Summer League
          College Leaders
          Batting, Pitching

          WAR Tools
          Combined WAR Leaderboards
          WAR Graphs
          WPA Tools
          WPA Inquirer
          Rookie Leaders
          Batters 2025, Pitchers 2025
          Splits Leaders
          Batters: vs L, vs R, Home, Away
          Pitchers: vs L, vs R, Home, Away
        • Teams
          Team Batting Stats
          2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
          Team Pitching Stats
          2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020
          Team WAR Totals (RoS)
          AL East
          Blue Jays  |  DC
          Orioles  |  DC
          Rays  |  DC
          Red Sox  |  DC
          Yankees  |  DC
          AL Central
          Guardians  |  DC
          Royals  |  DC
          Tigers  |  DC
          Twins  |  DC
          White Sox  |  DC
          AL West
          Angels  |  DC
          Astros  |  DC
          Athletics  |  DC
          Mariners  |  DC
          Rangers  |  DC
          NL East
          Braves  |  DC
          Marlins  |  DC
          Mets  |  DC
          Nationals  |  DC
          Phillies  |  DC
          NL Central
          Brewers  |  DC
          Cardinals  |  DC
          Cubs  |  DC
          Pirates  |  DC
          Reds  |  DC
          NL West
          D-backs  |  DC
          Dodgers  |  DC
          Giants  |  DC
          Padres  |  DC
          Rockies  |  DC
          Positional Depth Charts
          Batters: C, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B, LF, CF, RF, DH
          Pitchers: SP, RP
        • RosterResource
          Current Depth Charts
          AL East
          Blue Jays
          Orioles
          Rays
          Red Sox
          Yankees
          AL Central
          Guardians
          Royals
          Tigers
          Twins
          White Sox
          AL West
          Angels
          Astros
          Athletics
          Mariners
          Rangers
          NL East
          Braves
          Marlins
          Mets
          Nationals
          Phillies
          NL Central
          Brewers
          Cardinals
          Cubs
          Pirates
          Reds
          NL West
          D-backs
          Dodgers
          Giants
          Padres
          Rockies
          In-Season Tools
          2025 Closer Depth Chart
          2025 Injury Report
          2025 Payroll Pages
          2025 Transaction Tracker
          2025 Schedule Grid
          2025 Probables Grid
          2025 Lineup Tracker
          2025 Minor League Power Rankings
          Offseason Tools
          2025 Free Agent Tracker
          2025 Offseason Tracker
          2025 Opening Day Tracker
        • Prospects
          Prospects Home
          The Board
          The Board: Scouting + Stats!
          How To Use The Board: A Tutorial
          Farm System Rankings

          Top Prospects List
          20252024
          AL
          BALCHWATH
          BOSCLEHOU
          NYYDETLAA
          TBRKCRSEA
          TORMINTEX
          NL
          ATLCHCARI
          MIACINCOL
          NYMMILLAD
          PHIPITSDP
          WSNSTLSFG
          2025 Preseason Top 100
        • Glossary
          Library
          Batting Stats
          wOBA, wRC+, ISO, K% & BB%, more...
          Pitching Stats
          FIP, xFIP, BABIP, K/9 & BB/9, more...
          Defensive Stats
          UZR Primer, DRS, FSR, TZ & TZL, more...
          More
          WAR, UBR Primer, WPA, LI, Clutch
          Guts!
          Seasonal Constants
          Park Factors
          Park Factors by Handedness
        • Sign In
        • Intro
        • Features
        • Offense
          • Complete List (Offense)
          • OBP
          • OPS and OPS+
          • wOBA
          • wRC and wRC+
          • wRAA
          • Off
          • BsR
          • UBR
          • wSB
          • wGDP
          • BABIP
          • ISO
          • HR/FB
          • Spd
          • Pull%/Cent%/Oppo%
          • Soft%/Med%/Hard%
          • GB%, LD%, FB%
          • K% and BB%
          • Plate Discipline (O-Swing%, Z-Swing%, etc.)
          • Pitch Type Linear Weights
          • Pace
        • Defense
          • Overview
          • Def
          • UZR
          • DRS
          • Defensive Runs Saved – 2020 Update
          • Inside Edge Fielding
          • Catcher Defense
          • FSR
          • RZR
          • TZ / TZL
        • Pitching
          • Complete List (Pitching)
          • PitchingBot Pitch Modeling Primer
          • Stuff+, Location+, and Pitching+ Primer
          • ERA
          • WHIP
          • FIP
          • xFIP
          • SIERA
          • Strikeout and Walk Rates
          • Pull%/Cent%/Oppo%
          • Soft%/Med%/Hard%
          • GB%, LD%, FB%
          • BABIP
          • HR/FB
          • LOB%
          • Pitch Type Linear Weights
          • SD / MD
          • ERA- / FIP- / xFIP-
          • Plate Discipline (O-Swing%, Z-Swing%, etc.)
          • Pace
          • PITCHF/x
            • What is PITCHF/x?
            • Pitch Type Abbreviations & Classifications
            • Heat Maps
            • Common Mistakes
            • PITCHf/x Resources
        • WE/RE/LI
          • RE24
          • Win Expectancy
          • WPA
          • LI
          • WPA/LI
          • Clutch
        • Principles
          • DIPS
          • Regression toward the Mean
          • Replacement Level
          • Sample Size
          • Splits
          • Projection Systems
          • Linear Weights
          • Counting vs. Rate Statistics
          • Park Factors
          • Park Factors – 5 Year Regressed
          • Positional Adjustment
          • Aging Curve
          • League Equivalencies
          • Pythagorean Win-Loss
          • Luck
        • WAR
          • What is WAR?
          • WAR for Position Players
          • WAR for Pitchers
          • FDP
          • fWAR, rWAR, and WARP
          • WAR Misconceptions
        • Business

        ERA- / FIP- / xFIP-

        by Piper Slowinski
        April 8, 2011

        Minus Stats 7-19-15

        ERA Minus, FIP Minus, and xFIP Minus are the pitching version of OPS+ and wRC+ and are a simple way to tell how well a player performed in relation to league average. All of these statistics have a similar scale, where 100 is league average and each point above or below 100 represents a percent above or below league average. However, as lower is better for (almost) all pitching stats, a lower ERA- or FIP- is better.

        To learn about ERA, FIP, or xFIP specifically, please visit their respective Library pages. ERA-, FIP-, and xFIP- are the park and league adjusted versions of each of those statistics. In other words, a pitcher with an 80 ERA- had a park adjusted ERA that was 20 percentage points better than their league’s (AL or NL) ERA for that season.

        Calculation:

        Calculating ERA-, FIP-, or xFIP- is very easy as long as you have three pieces of information: your player’s ERA, FIP, or xFIP, their team’s park factor, and the league average (AL or NL) ERA, FIP, or xFIP for that time period. Once you have those, the formula looks like this, shown with ERA. The calculations are identical for FIP and xFIP.

        ERA Minus = 100*((ERA + (ERA – ERA*(PF/100)) )/ AL or NL ERA)

        In 2014, Clayton Kershaw had a 1.77 ERA, a home park factor of 96, and the NL ERA was 3.66. So we do the following calculation:

        50 = 100*(1.77 + (1.77 – 1.77*(96/100)))/ 3.66

        Please note that our listed park factors are rounded so there may be a few occasions in which your calculation is off by one point as a result. Otherwise, you simply take the player’s ERA, adjust it for their home park, divide by league average, and multiply by 100 (just for presentation) to return the ERA-.

        Why ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-:

        Using a park and league adjusted version of your favorite pitching statistic is very useful for two reasons. First, park adjustments are important because the 30 MLB parks are different enough that you would expect run scoring to vary based only on the dimensions, altitude, and weather even if the players made the same pitches and same swings. The results aren’t dramatic outside of Coors Field, but shifting the baseline by 5 or 10 percent is meaningful when comparing players. Simply put, it’s more difficult to prevent runs in Yankee Stadium than it is at Tropicana Field so we should adjust a player’s numbers accordingly. A 3.00 ERA at Yankee Stadium is more impressive than one at the Trop and ERA- allows us to quantify that difference.

        Second, adjusting for league average is important for two reasons. You certainly want to make some sort of correction for the fact run scoring is higher in the AL than the NL, but you also want to scale ERA to league average so that you can compare players during different eras. By dividing by the league specific ERA, you are able to do both. As a result, a 95 ERA- in 2014 and a 95 ERA- in 2000 both communicate that the pitcher was 5 percent better than league average during that season, even though league average ERA was very different between those two seasons.

        For example, a 4.00 ERA in 2000 was pretty good but a 4.00 ERA in 2014 would be below average. ERA- allows you to compare those two seasons because without it, you might be left to assume they were roughly equivalent when they were not.

        How to Use ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-:

        Using ERA-/FIP-/xFIP- is a snap. Since you already know how to use each one of those statistics on their own, the only thing you need to know about using the “minus” stats is that league average for that year and league is always set to 100 and that every point below 100 means the pitcher is that many percentage points better than league average in that particular stat, after accounting for the player’s home park.

        For example, an 87 ERA- is 13 percentage points better than the league average ERA for that year and league once you account for the park. A 110 ERA- is 10 percentage points worse than the league average ERA for that year and league once you account for the park.

        Essentially, the only reason to use regular ERA instead of ERA- is for ease of communication or if you actually want to observe the differences created by the run environments. Many people understand what a 3.50 ERA means, but telling someone a player has a 96 ERA- may be a bit more confusing. If you have a good internal sense of league average for that season and how the parks affect run scoring, using ERA in conversation will do the trick. But if you want to make detailed comparisons across players (i.e. Player X is better than Player Y because his ERA is better), you want to make sure you’re using the park and league adjustments.

        Context:

        League average for ERA-, FIP-, and xFIP- is always set to 100 for each league, but the specific distribution will bounce around from season to season. The following, however, is a good rule of thumb based on starting pitchers. Relievers will have lower values on average just like when dealing with ERA or FIP.

        Rating ERA-/FIP-/xFIP-
        Excellent 70
        Great 80
        Above Average 90
        Average 100
        Below Average 110
        Poor 115
        Awful 125

        Things to Remember:

        ● ERA-, FIP-, and xFIP- are park and league adjusted. They control for home park and your specific league’s average ERA, FIP, or xFIP.

        ● League average is always set to 100.

        ● Every point above or below 100 is a one percentage point deviation from average during that year.

        ● Park Factors are estimates, which means that they will not always influence every pitcher the same way. Also, particular pitchers might be more or less influenced by their home park than average, so there is some inherent uncertainty in ERA- because the park factors are imperfect. For example, a 3.00 ERA in the NL in 2014 is an 86 ERA- with a 95 park factor, an 84 ERA- with a 98 park factor, and an 80 ERA- with a 102 park factor. If a park factor is dramatically wrong, the influence is still only within five or so percent.

        Links for Further Reading:

        The Minus Stats – FanGraphs

        ERA-, FIP-, xFIP- – FanGraphs

        Esoteric Ramblings about + – Walk Like A Sabermetrician




        SD / MD
         
        SIERA

        Piper was the editor-in-chief of DRaysBay and the keeper of the FanGraphs Library.

        Subscribe
        Login
        Notify of
        Please login to comment
        3 Comments
        Oldest
        Newest Most Voted
        Inline Feedbacks
        View all comments
        CrplsMember since 2021
        14 years ago

        So, um, what’s the difference between ERA+ and ERA-?

        4
        Fascist
        4 years ago
        Reply to  Crpls

        Shut up.

        -5
        beckett19
        12 years ago

        Nothing real. Its just that ERA+ makesit so higher than 100isbeter, ERA- makes its so under 100 is better. If one pitcher has an ERA+ of 110, thats the same thing as a 90 ERA-.

        -4
        You are going to send email to

        Move Comment

        Updated: Monday, June 16, 2025 10:56 AM ETUpdated: 6/16/2025 10:56 AM ET
        @fangraphs - Contact Us - Advertise - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy
        sis_logo
        All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, and play-by-play data provided by Sports Info Solutions.
        mlb logo
        Major League and Minor League Baseball data provided by Major League Baseball.
        Mitchel Lichtman
        All UZR (ultimate zone rating) calculations are provided courtesy of Mitchel Lichtman.
        TangoTiger.com
        All Win Expectancy, Leverage Index, Run Expectancy, and Fans Scouting Report data licenced from TangoTiger.com
        Retrosheet.org
        Play-by-play data prior to 2002 was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet.