List of Major League Baseball single-season wins leaders

Last updated

Charles Radbourn, the single-season leader in wins. Radbourne charles 1.jpg
Charles Radbourn, the single-season leader in wins.

In Major League Baseball, the winning pitcher is defined as the pitcher who last pitched prior to the half-inning when the winning team took the lead for the last time. [1] There are two exceptions to this rule. The first is that a starting pitcher must complete five innings to earn a win (four innings for a game that lasts five innings on defense). If he fails to do so, he is ineligible to be the winning pitcher even if he last pitched prior to the half-inning when his team took the lead for the last time, and the official scorer awards the win to the relief pitcher who, in the official scorer's judgment, was the most effective. The second exception applies if the relief pitcher who last pitched prior to the half-inning when the winning team took the lead for the last time was "ineffective in a brief appearance" in the official scorer's judgment, in which case the win is awarded to the succeeding relief pitcher who, in the official scorer's judgment, was the most effective. [2]

Contents

Charles Radbourn [3] holds the record for the most wins in a single-season, winning 60 games in 1884. [4] John Clarkson [5] (53 in 1885) and Guy Hecker [6] (52 in 1884) are the only other pitchers to win more than 50 games in a single-season. [7]

Key

RankRank amongst leaders in single-season wins. A blank field indicates a tie.
PlayerName of player.
WTotal single-season wins.
YearSeason wins were recorded.
*Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.

List

RankPlayerWYear
1 Old Hoss Radbourn *601884
2 John Clarkson *531885
3 Guy Hecker 521884
4John Clarkson *491889
5 Charlie Buffinton 481884
Old Hoss Radbourn *481883
7 Albert Spalding *471876
John Montgomery Ward *471879
9 Pud Galvin *461883
Pud Galvin *461884
Matt Kilroy 461887
12 George Bradley 451876
Silver King 451888
Jim McCormick 451880
15 Bill Hutchison 441891
Mickey Welch *441885
17 Tommy Bond 431879
Larry Corcoran 431880
Billy Taylor 431884
Will White 431879
Will White431883
22 Lady Baldwin 421886
Tim Keefe *421886
24 Jack Chesbro *411904
Dave Foutz 411886
Bill Hutchison411890
Tim Keefe *411883
Ed Morris 411886
Charlie Sweeney 411884
30Tommy Bond401877
Tommy Bond401878
Bob Caruthers 401885
Bob Caruthers401889
Jim McCormick401884
Bill Sweeney 401884
Ed Walsh *401908
RankPlayerWYear
Will White401882
38Ed Morris391885
John Montgomery Ward *391880
Mickey Welch *391884
41 John Clarkson *381887
Kid Gleason 381890
Toad Ramsey 381886
44Pud Galvin *371879
Tim Keefe *371884
Jack Lynch 371884
Christy Mathewson *371908
Toad Ramsey371887
Jim Whitney 371883
50John Clarkson361886
Bill Hutchison361892
Walter Johnson *361913
Frank Killen 361893
Jim McCormick361882
Sadie McMahon 361890
Tony Mullane 361884
Amos Rusie *361894
Cy Young *361892
59 Larry Corcoran 351884
Jim Devlin 351877
Tim Keefe351887
Tim Keefe351888
Silver King351889
Joe McGinnity *351904
Sadie McMahon351891
Tony Mullane351883
Kid Nichols *351892
Ed Seward 351888
Jack Stivetts 351892
Cy Young *351895
71Larry Corcoran341883
George Haddock 341891
RankPlayerWYear
Ed Morris341884
Kid Nichols *341893
Mike Smith 341887
Scott Stratton 341890
Mickey Welch *341880
Will White341884
Smoky Joe Wood 341912
Cy Young *341893
81 Grover Cleveland Alexander *331916
Mark Baldwin 331890
John Clarkson *331888
John Clarkson *331891
Dave Foutz331885
Walter Johnson *331912
Christy Mathewson *331904
Jouett Meekin 331894
Tony Mullane331886
Henry Porter 331885
Old Hoss Radbourn *331882
Amos Rusie *331891
Amos Rusie *331893
Jack Stivetts331891
Mickey Welch *331886
Cy Young *331901
97 Ice Box Chamberlain 321889
Jesse Duryea 321889
Bob Emslie 321884
Tim Keefe *321885
Silver King321887
Kid Nichols *321894
Lee Richmond 321880
Amos Rusie *321892
Gus Weyhing 321892
Cy Young *321902

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Complete game</span> Pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher

In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitchers who throw an entire official game that is shortened by rain will still be credited with a complete game, while starting pitchers who are relieved in extra innings after throwing nine or more innings will not be credited with a complete game. A starting pitcher who is replaced by a pinch hitter in the final half inning of a game will still be credited with a complete game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Win–loss record (pitching)</span> Baseball statistic

In baseball and softball, a win–loss record is a statistic that indicates the number of wins and losses credited to a pitcher. For example, a 20–10 win–loss record would represent 20 wins and 10 losses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save (baseball)</span> Credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain circumstances

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. Most commonly a pitcher earns a save by entering in the ninth inning of a game in which his team is winning by three or fewer runs and finishing the game by pitching one inning without losing the lead. The number of saves or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted are oft-cited statistics of relief pitchers, particularly those in the closer role. The save statistic was created by journalist Jerome Holtzman in 1959 to "measure the effectiveness of relief pitchers" and was adopted as an official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic in 1969. The save has been retroactively tabulated for pitchers before that date. Mariano Rivera is MLB's all-time leader in regular-season saves with 652, while Francisco Rodríguez earned the most saves in a single season with 62 in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Radbourn</span> American baseball player (1854–1897)

Charles Gardner Radbourn, nicknamed "Old Hoss", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for Buffalo (1880), Providence (1881–1885), Boston (1886–1889), Boston (1890), and Cincinnati (1891).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Clarkson</span> American baseball player (1861–1909)

John Gibson Clarkson was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played from 1882 to 1894. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Clarkson played for the Worcester Ruby Legs (1882), Chicago White Stockings (1884–1887), Boston Beaneaters (1888–1892), and Cleveland Spiders (1892–1894).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Buffinton</span> American baseball player (1861–1907)

Charles G. Buffinton was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1882 to 1892. One of the workhorse pitchers of the 1880s, he won 20 games seven times and his 1,700 career strikeouts are the ninth-highest total of the 19th century.

A no decision is one of either of two sports statistics scenarios; one in baseball and softball, and the other in boxing and related combat sports.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1886 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1885 throughout the world.

The following are the baseball events of the year 1884 throughout the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Sweeney</span> American baseball player (1863–1902)

Charles Joseph Sweeney was an American Major League Baseball pitcher from 1883 through 1887. He played for the Providence Grays, St. Louis Maroons, and Cleveland Blues, and is best known for his performance in 1884, when he won 41 games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Kilroy</span> American baseball player (1866–1940)

Matthew Aloysius "Matches" Kilroy was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. During his rookie season in 1886, he had 513 strikeouts, which remains the MLB single-season record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Bush</span> American baseball player (1901-1985)

Guy Terrell Bush was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, nicknamed the Mississippi Mudcat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Estrada</span> American baseball player (born 1938)

Charles Leonard Estrada is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher from 1960 to 1967, playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, and New York Mets. After his retirement from the major leagues, Estrada served as pitching coach in the majors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stump Weidman</span> American baseball player (1861–1905)

George Edward "Stump" Weidman was an American professional baseball player from 1880 to 1893. He played nine years in Major League Baseball, principally as a pitcher and outfielder, for five different major league clubs. He appeared in 379 major league games, 279 as a pitcher and 122 as an outfielder, and his longest stretches were with the Detroit Wolverines and the Kansas City Cowboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyclone Miller</span> American baseball player (1859–1916)

Joseph H. "Cyclone" Miller was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He played just two seasons in the majors, but did play with four teams in three leagues. He stood at 5'9".

The Providence Grays went 84–28 during the 1884 season to win the National League championship. The team started out with two main pitchers, Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn and Charlie Sweeney. After Sweeney jumped to the Union Association in mid-season, Radbourn pitched most of the Grays' remaining games and led the team to the pennant. Radbourn won 60 games by himself, setting a Major League Baseball record that has never been broken.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shutout (baseball)</span> Baseball achievement

In Major League Baseball, a shutout refers to the act by which a single pitcher pitches a complete game and does not allow the opposing team to score a run. If two or more pitchers combine to complete this act, no pitcher is awarded a shutout, although the team itself can be said to have "shut out" the opposing team.

Camilo Doval is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2015, and made his MLB debut with them in 2021. His fastball has reached 104.5 miles per hour (168.2 km/h).

References

  1. "Wins". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  2. "Official Rules". Major League Baseball. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  3. "Charles Radbourn Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  4. Baier, Wesley (November 17, 2018). "Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn's Insane 1884 Season". SB Nation. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  5. "John Clarkson Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  6. "Guy Hecker Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  7. "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Wins". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2019.