Lefty Gomez went 21-11 with a 2.33 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 1937 -- leading the American League in all three categories to capture the pitching Triple Crown. Red Ruffing went 20-7 right behind him. They were the only two pitchers in the AL to win 20 games that year, and between them they accounted for 41 of the New York Yankees' 102 victories. No other team in the league had a pitching tandem that came close.
Gomez: The Flashier Half
Vernon "Lefty" Gomez threw hard, talked fast, and pitched with a confidence that bordered on theatrical. His left arm generated the kind of velocity that missed bats in an era when most pitchers relied on command and guile. The 194 strikeouts reflected genuine stuff -- he didn't pile up whiffs by throwing 300 innings and hoping for the best. He overpowered hitters.
| Record | 21-11 |
| ERA | 2.33 (led AL) |
| Strikeouts | 194 (led AL) |
| Innings Pitched | 278.1 |
| Achievement | AL Pitching Triple Crown |
The Triple Crown validated what teammates and opponents already knew. Gomez didn't just lead the league in wins -- he dominated in ERA and strikeouts simultaneously. That combination is rare in any era. In 1937, with pitchers routinely throwing 250-plus innings and facing lineups stacked with contact hitters, it was extraordinary.
Gomez's personality matched his arm. He cracked jokes on the mound, kept teammates loose in the dugout, and treated every start like a stage performance (with a fastball as his punchline). Joe McCarthy tolerated the act because Gomez delivered when it counted.
Ruffing: The Professional
Red Ruffing didn't generate the same attention as Gomez, and he didn't care. His 20-7 record came from a different approach -- command over velocity, competitive grinding over flashy strikeouts, the ability to pitch deep into games and give McCarthy seven or eight reliable innings every fifth day.
| Record | 20-7 |
| ERA | 3.90 |
| Role | Second ace, rotation anchor |
| Hall of Fame | Inducted 1967 |
Ruffing's 3.90 ERA wasn't in Gomez's class, but context matters. He pitched in Yankee Stadium -- a hitter's park in the 1930s -- and won 20 games anyway. His value wasn't in dominating individual starts. It was in showing up every five days and giving the Yankees a chance to win. McCarthy counted on Gomez for brilliance. He counted on Ruffing for certainty. Both delivered.
Forty-One Wins, Two Arms
Together, Gomez and Ruffing won 41 games -- roughly 40 percent of the Yankees' 102 victories came from just two pitchers. That kind of concentration at the top of a rotation gave McCarthy a luxury no other American League manager had. Every five days (give or take), one of the two best pitchers in the league took the mound for his club.
The rest of the staff didn't need to be spectacular. With Gomez and Ruffing absorbing that workload and winning at that rate, the Yankees' other starters only needed to be competent. McCarthy built his rotation around that foundation -- two aces who carried the staff and a supporting cast that filled the gaps.
October Payoff
The dominance extended into the postseason. Gomez and Ruffing anchored a pitching staff that helped the Yankees beat the Giants in five games in the World Series. The club's defense committed zero errors across 179 chances (a story in itself), but the pitching kept the Giants close enough to the plate for those clean defensive chances to matter.
Both pitchers earned Hall of Fame inductions -- Ruffing in 1967, Gomez in 1972. Their 1937 campaigns stand among the best seasons either man produced. But the real achievement was the tandem itself: two front-line starters, both winning 20 games, both delivering for a team that won 102 games and a championship. That's how rotations are supposed to work.
Rotation Returns Intact
Gomez and Ruffing come back as McCarthy's top two starters, the same foundation that anchored the 1936 championship.
Gomez Dominates
Gomez builds his case for the Triple Crown, racking up wins and strikeouts while maintaining the league's lowest ERA among qualified starters.
Dual 20-Win Seasons
Both Gomez (21) and Ruffing (20) reach the 20-win mark -- the only AL pitchers to do so in 1937.
World Series Victory
The pitching duo helps anchor a World Series run that ends with a 4-1 series win over the Giants and zero defensive errors.
I'd rather be lucky than good. But when you throw as hard as I do, you don't need much luck.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Lefty Gomez's record in 1937?
Gomez went 21-11 with a 2.33 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 278.1 innings pitched. He led the American League in wins, ERA, and strikeouts -- capturing the rare pitching Triple Crown. It was one of the finest seasons by any pitcher in Yankees history.
Did Red Ruffing win 20 games in 1937?
Yes. Ruffing went 20-7 with a 3.90 ERA in 1937, making him and Gomez the only two 20-game winners in the American League that season. Together they combined for 41 of the Yankees' 102 victories.
Are Lefty Gomez and Red Ruffing in the Hall of Fame?
Both are enshrined in Cooperstown. Ruffing was inducted in 1967 and Gomez in 1972. Their 1937 seasons -- Gomez's Triple Crown and Ruffing's 20-win campaign -- rank among the finest individual performances of their Hall of Fame careers.