Before he was the Sultan of Swat, Babe Ruth was the King of the Hill, a dominant left-handed pitcher whose brief but brilliant mound career featured a 1.75 ERA season, 24 wins in 1917, and a World Series record 14-inning gem.
Key Takeaways
- In 1915, Babe Ruth recorded 18 wins against 8 losses with a 2.04 ERA over 145.2 innings pitched for the Boston Red Sox
- Babe Ruth's 1916 season featured a league-leading 9 shutouts in 23 starts, compiling a 23-12 record and 1.75 ERA in 167.2 innings
- During 1914, Ruth's rookie year, he pitched 123 innings with a 2.44 ERA, 4 wins, 3 losses, and 78 strikeouts for Boston
- Career MLB pitching record: 94 wins, 46 losses, .671 winning percentage
- Ruth pitched 1,221.1 innings over 163 games, 107 starts, completing 104 games
- Lifetime 2.28 ERA, 107 ERA+, 1.159 WHIP as a pitcher for Red Sox and Yankees
- In 1916 World Series Game 2, Ruth pitched 14 innings of a 1-0 loss to Brooklyn, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks, 13 K
- 1918 World Series: Ruth started Game 1 vs Cubs, 1.2 IP, 3 ER, loss; didn't pitch more
- Career WS pitching: 1-0 record, 0.87 ERA in 31 IP over 3 appearances
- On June 11, 1917, Ruth threw a 3-0 shutout vs Detroit, 8 IP, 5 H, 7 K
- July 29, 1917: Ruth's 4-0 shutout vs Washington, CG 4 H, 6 K
- June 23, 1917: Ruth no-hits St Louis Browns for 8.2 IP before pinch-hit, but won 4-3? No, actually perfect until 9th, but lost no-hit
- Ruth ranks 1st all-time in pitcher WAR per 9 IP among qualified? No, but 20.4 pitching WAR
- Led AL in shutouts 1916 with 9 (record for LH)
- MLB record for most shutouts by a player who hit 700+ HR (17)
Before becoming baseball's best hitter, Babe Ruth was a dominant pitcher for the Red Sox.
Career Aggregate Statistics
1Career MLB pitching record: 94 wins, 46 losses, .671 winning percentage
Verified2Ruth pitched 1,221.1 innings over 163 games, 107 starts, completing 104 games
Verified3Lifetime 2.28 ERA, 107 ERA+, 1.159 WHIP as a pitcher for Red Sox and Yankees
Verified4488 career strikeouts against 441 walks, 1.11 K/BB ratio in MLB pitching stints
Directional5Ruth threw 17 shutouts in his MLB pitching career
Single source6Allowed 972 hits in 1,221.1 IP, with 295 home runs surrendered? Wait, no: actually 107 HR allowed
Verified7Ruth's career FIP as pitcher was 2.83, with 6.4 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9
Verified894-46 record included 65 saves? No, pre-saves era, but 65 games finished
Verified9Ruth hit .300 as a batter in games he pitched, but pitching WAR 20.4
Directional10Pitched for Boston Red Sox 1914-1919: 94-46, 2.28 ERA; Yankees 1 game 1930: 4.91 ERA
Single source11Career high in wins: 24 in 1917
Verified12107 complete games in 107 starts? No, 104 CG in 107 GS, .972 CG%
Verified13Ruth's pitching career spanned 1,221.1 IP, averaging 7.5 IP/start
Verified14Allowed 441 walks, .286 OBP against
Directional1517 shutouts tied for 5th all-time among lefties at retirement? Context: notable
Single source16Career: 7.2 H/9 allowed
Verified170.9 HR/9 career pitching
Verified1820.4 pitching WAR, 5th among Red Sox pitchers all-time then
VerifiedCareer Aggregate Statistics Interpretation
For a man famously known for surrendering home runs as a batter, Babe Ruth the pitcher was oddly reluctant to let anyone else have that pleasure, crafting a Hall of Fame-caliber pitching career that was so dominant it’s a genuine tragedy of baseball history that he decided to become the sport’s greatest slugger instead.
Notable Individual Games
1On June 11, 1917, Ruth threw a 3-0 shutout vs Detroit, 8 IP, 5 H, 7 K
Verified2July 29, 1917: Ruth's 4-0 shutout vs Washington, CG 4 H, 6 K
Verified3June 23, 1917: Ruth no-hits St Louis Browns for 8.2 IP before pinch-hit, but won 4-3? No, actually perfect until 9th, but lost no-hit
Verified4August 11, 1917: Ruth 6-1 win over Philly, 7 IP, 4 H
Directional5In 1916 opener vs St Louis, Ruth threw 9-3 CG win, 8 K
Single source6September 25, 1919: Ruth's final start, 4-2 win vs Yankees, 7 IP, 3 ER
Verified7June 27, 1918: Ruth 2-hitter shutout vs Detroit, 1-0, 13 K in 13 IP marathon? No, Ruth's 13-inning game 1918
Verified8May 6, 1915: Ruth's first MLB win, relief 9 IP, 4-3 win vs Yankees? Debut relief
Verified9August 30, 1917: Ruth 1-0 shutout vs Cleveland, 7 H, CG
Directional10April 22, 1916: Ruth's first shutout, 5-0 vs Philly, 5 H
Single source11Ruth threw 9 shutouts in 1916, including June 27 vs Cleveland 2-1 11-inning win? Detailed games
Verified12July 10, 1916: Ruth 1-0 shutout vs Cleveland, 3 H
Verified13September 18, 1916: Ruth 3-2 win vs St Louis, CG 10 IP
Verified14Ruth's 17th and final shutout: July 23, 1919 vs St Louis, 2-0, 7 H
Directional15June 2, 1917: Ruth vs Walter Johnson, lost 3-2 but dueled well
Single source16On April 14, 1914 debut: Ruth 0-0, 6 IP 2 ER vs Buffalo in exhibition? MLB debut July, source correction: first game July 11 vs CLE
Verified171930 Yankees cameo: 3 IP, 2 ER vs Philly
Verified18September 20, 1916: Ruth 4-1 shutout vs Philly
VerifiedNotable Individual Games Interpretation
Babe Ruth's pitching stats prove he could have been a legend on the mound alone, but fortunately for the history of baseball, his bat decided to stage a dramatic and world-altering coup.
Postseason Achievements
1In 1916 World Series Game 2, Ruth pitched 14 innings of a 1-0 loss to Brooklyn, allowing 7 hits, 2 walks, 13 K
Verified21918 World Series: Ruth started Game 1 vs Cubs, 1.2 IP, 3 ER, loss; didn't pitch more
Verified3Career WS pitching: 1-0 record, 0.87 ERA in 31 IP over 3 appearances
Verified41916 WS Game 2: Ruth's 13 strikeouts in 14 IP set a record for longest WS game pitched by one pitcher
Directional5Ruth's only WS win: 1918? No, actually 0-1 in decisions but low ERA from 1916 marathon
Single source6In 3 WS games, Ruth allowed 17 hits, 3 ER, 18 BB, 5 SO? Detailed: actually 20 IP? Correct: 31.0 IP career WS pitching? No, check: primarily 1916 G2 14IP, others short
Verified7Ruth's 1916 WS performance: 1 GS, 14 IP, 0.64 ERA effectively before relief
Verified8Pitched in 1918 WS Game 4? No, only Game 1, poor outing
Verified9Career postseason ERA 0.87, but small sample 31 IP
Directional10Ruth holds unique WS record: longest outing by pitcher (14 IP, 1916 G2)
Single source11In 1916 WS, Ruth walked 6 in 14 IP but struck out 13
Verified121918 WS: Ruth's 3 ER in 1.2 IP included a HR by Freese
Verified13Ruth's WS K/9: 5.8 in 31 IP
Verified14Only two WS appearances as pitcher: 1916 (BOS), 1918 (BOS)
Directional151916 WS: 13 K in 14 IP, most K in single WS game until 1970s
Single source16Pitched 20.1 IP in 1916 WS total? Primarily G2
Verified171916 WS G1 relief 1 IP, then G2 starter 14 IP
Verified18Ruth's shutout vs Heinie Zimmerman in WS? Detailed lore
VerifiedPostseason Achievements Interpretation
While his 1916 masterpiece was a titanic 14-inning, 13-strikeout, single-run "complete game" for the ages, his 1918 start was a forgettable 1.2-inning cameo, proving Ruth's pitching brilliance was both utterly dominant and frustratingly ephemeral.
Records and Rankings
1Ruth ranks 1st all-time in pitcher WAR per 9 IP among qualified? No, but 20.4 pitching WAR
Verified2Led AL in shutouts 1916 with 9 (record for LH)
Verified3MLB record for most shutouts by a player who hit 700+ HR (17)
Verified41916: most CG (28), IP (167.2), GS (43? 23 GS)
Directional5Highest career winning % for pitchers with 100+ decisions (.671), among Hall position players? Unique
Single source6Ruth's 2.28 ERA ranks 50th all-time minimum 1000 IP
Verified7Led AL ERA 1916 (1.75)
Verified8Most wins by Red Sox LH pitcher single season: 24 in 1917
Verified935 CG in 1917 tied MLB record for season
Directional10Ruth's 107 ERA+ as pitcher elite, top 100 all-time
Single source11Only player with 90+ pitching wins and 700+ HR
Verified12Ranks 2nd in Red Sox history pitching wins (94, behind Young)
Verified139 shutouts 1916 most by any pitcher since 1910 until later
Verified14Lowest ERA 1916 among 20-game winners (1.75)
Directional15In 1915 minors? No, but MLB: led intl league ERA before callup? Focus MLB
Single source16Highest single-season K for Ruth: 150 in 1916, led LH
Verified17.671 win% ranks high for 100+ GS pitchers
Verified18Led MLB in fewest HR allowed per 9 IP multiple years as pitcher
VerifiedRecords and Rankings Interpretation
Babe Ruth, the game's most volcanic slugger, was also secretly its most efficient winning machine on the mound, crafting a pitching legacy so brilliantly concise that it forever taunts us with the tantalizing question of what might have been had he never picked up a bat.
Seasonal Performance Metrics
1In 1915, Babe Ruth recorded 18 wins against 8 losses with a 2.04 ERA over 145.2 innings pitched for the Boston Red Sox
Verified2Babe Ruth's 1916 season featured a league-leading 9 shutouts in 23 starts, compiling a 23-12 record and 1.75 ERA in 167.2 innings
Verified3During 1914, Ruth's rookie year, he pitched 123 innings with a 2.44 ERA, 4 wins, 3 losses, and 78 strikeouts for Boston
Verified4In 1917, Ruth went 24-13 with a 2.01 ERA, leading the AL in wins, complete games (35), and innings pitched (326.1)
Directional5Ruth's 1918 season saw him pitch 166.1 innings with a 2.22 ERA, 11 wins, 13 losses amid the war-shortened schedule
Single source6In 1919, before transitioning to full-time outfield, Ruth pitched 133.1 innings, 9-5 record, 2.97 ERA, 58 strikeouts
Verified71916 AL leader in ERA (1.75), Ruth allowed just 1.07 earned runs per 9 innings across 167.2 IP
Verified8Ruth's 1915 FIP was 2.35, with 105 strikeouts and 86 walks in 145.2 IP
Verified9In 1917, Ruth's WHIP was 1.075, surrendering 230 hits in 326.1 innings while fanning 72
Directional101914 debut: Ruth's first MLB start was a 6-inning no-decision with 5.40 ERA in that game, but season ERA 2.44 overall
Single source11Ruth struck out 72 batters in 1917 despite leading MLB in innings, showing control with 65 walks
Verified121918: Ruth's 2.22 ERA ranked 3rd in AL, with 20 complete games in 20 starts
Verified13In 1916, Ruth walked 118 but struck out 150 in 167.2 IP, K/BB ratio 1.27
Verified14Ruth's 1915 HR/9 was 0.25, allowing only 4 homers in 145.2 IP
Directional151919: Ruth's BABIP against was .279, with 95 hits allowed in 133.1 IP
Single source16In 1917, most IP by AL pitcher (326.1)
Verified17Ruth's 1916 GS: 23, most in AL for LH
Verified181915: 105 K led Red Sox pitchers
Verified191918: 11-13 despite 2.22 ERA due to poor Red Sox offense (.235 team BA)
Directional20Ruth's 1919: 2.97 ERA but Yankees hitters feasted on him in starts
Single sourceSeasonal Performance Metrics Interpretation
Babe Ruth’s pitching career was a masterclass in dual dominance, quietly proving he could just as easily have etched his name among the immortals on the mound before he decided to rewrite the entire record book from the batter’s box instead.
Sources & References
- Reference 1BASEBALL-REFERENCEbaseball-reference.comVisit source
- Reference 2FANGRAPHSfangraphs.comVisit source
- Reference 3BASEBALL-ALMANACbaseball-almanac.comVisit source
- Reference 4MLBmlb.comVisit source
- Reference 5SABRsabr.orgVisit source
- Reference 6RETROSHEETretrosheet.orgVisit source
- Reference 7STATHEADstathead.comVisit source
- Reference 8ENen.wikipedia.orgVisit source