The following is a listing of pitching win and winning percentage records in Major League Baseball. All teams are considered to be members of the American or National Leagues, unless noted. Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted. An (r) denotes a player's rookie season.
American League Pitcher | Throws | Wins–losses | National League Pitcher | Throws | Wins–losses | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Walter Johnson | R | 417–279 [2] | Christy Mathewson | R | 373–188 [3] | |
Roger Clemens | R | 316–166 [4] | Grover Cleveland Alexander | R | 373–208 [5] | |
Eddie Plank | L | 305–183 [6] | Pud Galvin | R | 349–295 [7] | |
Lefty Grove | L | 300–141 [8] | Warren Spahn | L | 363–245 [9] | |
Early Wynn | R | 300–244 [10] | Kid Nichols | R | 361–208 [11] | |
Red Ruffing | R | 273–225 [12] | Greg Maddux | R | 355–227 [13] | |
Mike Mussina | R | 270–153 [14] | Tim Keefe | R | 342–225 [15] | |
Jim Palmer | R | 268–152 [16] | John Clarkson | R | 328–178 [17] | |
Bob Feller | R | 266–162 [18] | Steve Carlton | L | 319–226 [19] | |
Ted Lyons | R | 260–230 [20] | Mickey Welch | R | 307–210 [21] |
Pitcher | AL wins–losses | NL wins–losses |
---|---|---|
Al Orth [22] | 104–117 | 100–72 |
Cy Young [23] | 221–141 | 290–175 |
Jim Bunning [24] | 118–87 | 106–97 |
Ferguson Jenkins [25] | 115–93 | 169–133 |
Gaylord Perry [26] | 139–130 | 175–135 |
Dennis Martínez [27] | 141–115 | 104–78 |
Nolan Ryan [28] | 189–160 | 135–132 |
Kevin Brown [29] | 102–86 | 109–58 |
Randy Johnson [30] | 164–93 | 139–73 |
Pedro Martínez [31] | 117–37 | 102–63 |
Pitcher | Wins–losses [32] | Throws | Team | Season |
---|---|---|---|---|
Old Hoss Radbourn | 60–12 | R | Providence Grays | 1884 |
Albert Spalding | 54–5 | R | Boston Red Stockings (NA) | 1875 |
John Clarkson | 53–16 | R | Chicago White Stockings | 1884 |
Guy Hecker | 52–20 | R | Louisville Eclipse (AA) | 1884 |
Albert Spalding | 52–16 | R | Boston Red Stockings (NA) | 1874 |
John Clarkson | 49–19 | R | Boston Beaneaters | 1889 |
Charlie Buffinton | 48–16 | R | Boston Beaneaters | 1884 |
Old Hoss Radbourn | 48–25 | R | Providence Grays | 1883 |
Albert Spalding | 47–12 | R | Chicago White Stockings | 1876 |
John Montgomery Ward | 47–19 | R | Providence Grays | 1879 |
Pud Galvin | 46–29 | R | Buffalo Bisons | 1883 |
Pud Galvin | 46–22 | R | Buffalo Bisons | 1884 |
Matt Kilroy | 46–19 | L | Baltimore Orioles (AA) | 1887 |
George Bradley | 45–19 | R | St. Louis Brown Stockings | 1876 |
Silver King | 45–21 | R | St. Louis Cardinals | 1888 |
Jim McCormick | 45–28 | R | Cleveland Blues | 1880 |
Pitcher | Wins–losses [32] | Throws | Team | Season |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jack Chesbro | 41–12 | R | New York Highlanders | 1904 |
Ed Walsh | 40–15 | R | Chicago White Sox | 1908 |
Christy Mathewson | 37–11 | R | New York Giants | 1908 |
Walter Johnson | 36–7 | R | Washington Senators | 1913 |
Joe McGinnity | 35–8 | R | New York Giants | 1904 |
Smoky Joe Wood | 34–5 | R | Boston Red Sox | 1912 |
Cy Young | 33–10 | R | Boston Americans | 1901 |
Christy Mathewson | 33–12 | R | New York Giants | 1904 |
Walter Johnson | 33–12 | R | Washington Senators | 1912 |
Grover Cleveland Alexander | 33–12 | R | Philadelphia Phillies | 1916 |
Cy Young | 32–11 | R | Boston Americans | 1902 |
Lefty Grove | 31–4 | L | Philadelphia Athletics | 1931 |
Denny McLain | 31–6 | R | Detroit Tigers | 1968 |
Christy Mathewson | 31–9 | R | New York Giants | 1905 |
Jack Coombs | 31–9 | R | Philadelphia Athletics | 1910 |
Grover Cleveland Alexander | 31–10 | R | Philadelphia Phillies | 1915 |
Jim Bagby | 31–12 | R | Cleveland Indians | 1920 |
Joe McGinnity | 31–20 | R | New York Giants | 1903 |
Dizzy Dean | 30–7 | R | St. Louis Cardinals | 1934 |
Grover Cleveland Alexander | 30–13 | R | Philadelphia Phillies | 1917 |
Christy Mathewson | 30–13 | R | New York Giants | 1903 |
Pitcher | Seasons | Seasons and teams |
---|---|---|
Cy Young [23] | 15 | 1891–98 (Cleveland Spiders), 1899 (St. Louis Cardinals), 1901–04, 07–08 (Boston Americans/Pilgrims/Red Sox) |
Christy Mathewson [3] | 13 | 1901, 03–14 (New York Giants) |
Warren Spahn [9] | 13 | 1947, 49–51, 53–54, 56–61, 63 (Bos–Mil Braves) |
Walter Johnson [2] | 12 | 1910–19, 24–25 (Washington Senators) |
Kid Nichols [11] | 11 | 1890–99, Boston Beaneaters, 1904 (St. Louis Cardinals) |
Pud Galvin [7] | 10 | 1879–84 (Buffalo Bisons), 1886–89 (Pittsburgh Pirates) |
Charley Radbourn [33] | 9 | 1881–85 (Providence Grays), 1886–87, 89 (Boston Beaneaters), 1890 (Boston Reds (PL)) |
Grover Cleveland Alexander [5] | 9 | 1911, 13–17 (Philadelphia Phillies), 1920, 23 (Chicago Cubs), 1927 (St. Louis Cardinals) |
Mickey Welch [21] | 9 | 1880–81 (Troy Trojans), 1883–89 (New York Gothams/Giants) |
Pitcher | Seasons | Seasons and teams |
---|---|---|
Greg Maddux [13] | 17 | 1988–92, 2004 (Chicago Cubs), 1993–2003 (Atlanta Braves) |
Cy Young [23] | 15 | 1891–98 (Cleveland Spiders), 1899–1900 (St. Louis Cardinals), 1901–05 (Boston Americans/Pilgrims/Red Sox) |
Gaylord Perry [26] | 13 | 1966–71 (San Francisco Giants), 1972–74 (Cleveland Indians), 1975 (Cle Indians–Tex Rangers), 1976–77 (Texas Rangers), 1978 (San Diego Padres) |
Christy Mathewson [3] | 12 | 1903–14 (New York Giants) |
Pud Galvin [7] | 11 | 1879–84 (Buffalo Bisons), 1885 (Buf Bisons–Pittsburgh Pirates), 1886–89 (Pittsburgh Pirates) |
Warren Spahn [9] | 11 | 1953–63 (Boston–Milwaukee Braves) |
Tim Keefe [15] | 10 | 1881–82 (Troy Trojans), 1883–90 (New York Metropolitans/Giants) |
Walter Johnson [2] | 10 | 1910–19 (Washington Senators) |
Pitcher | Titles [39] | Years and teams |
---|---|---|
Warren Spahn | 8 | 1949–50, 53, 57–61 (Boston–Milwaukee Braves) |
Albert Spalding | 6 | 1871–75 (Boston Red Stockings (NA)), 1876 (Chicago White Stockings) |
Grover Cleveland Alexander | 6 | 1911, 14–17 (Philadelphia Phillies), 1920 (Chicago Cubs) |
Walter Johnson | 6 | 1913–16, 18, 24 (Washington Senators) |
Bob Feller | 6 | 1939–41, 46–47, 51 (Cleveland Indians) |
Cy Young | 5 | 1892, 95 (Cleveland Spiders), 1901–03 (Boston Americans) |
Joe McGinnity | 5 | 1899 (Baltimore Orioles), 1900 (Brooklyn Superbas), 1903–04, 06 (New York Giants) |
Tom Glavine | 5 | 1991–93, 98, 2000 (Atlanta Braves) |
Pitcher | Titles [39] | Years and teams |
---|---|---|
Albert Spalding | 6 | 1871–75 (Boston Red Stockings (NA)), 1876 (Chicago White Stockings) |
Warren Spahn | 5 | 1957–61 (Boston–Milwaukee Braves) |
Walter Johnson | 4 | 1913–16 (Washington Senators) |
Robin Roberts | 4 | 1952–55 (Philadelphia Phillies) |
Bill Hutchison | 3 | 1890–92 (Chicago Colts) |
Kid Nichols | 3 | 1896–98 (Boston Beaneaters) |
Cy Young | 3 | 1901–03 (Boston Americans) |
Grover Cleveland Alexander | 3 | 1915–17 (Philadelphia Phillies) |
Bob Feller | 3 | 1939–41 (Cleveland Indians) |
Jim Palmer | 3 | 1975–77 (Baltimore Orioles) |
Tom Glavine | 3 | 1991–93 (Atlanta Braves) |
Pitcher | League, team and year [39] |
---|---|
Albert Spalding | NA: Boston Red Stockings (1871–75), NL: Chicago White Stockings (1876) |
Cy Young | NL: Cleveland Spiders (1892, 95), AL: Boston Americans (1901–03) |
Jack Chesbro | NL: Pittsburgh Pirates (1902), AL: New York Highlanders (1904) |
Gaylord Perry | NL: San Francisco Giants (1970), San Diego Padres (1978), AL: Cleveland Indians (1972) |
Ferguson Jenkins | NL: Chicago Cubs (1971), AL: Texas Rangers (1974) |
Roy Halladay | AL: Toronto Blue Jays (2003), NL: Philadelphia Phillies (2010) |
Max Scherzer | AL: Detroit Tigers (2013, 2014), NL: Washington Nationals (2016, 2018) |
Pitcher | Team and year [39] |
---|---|
Bob Feller | 1939–41, 46, 47, 51 (Cleveland Indians) |
Warren Spahn | 1949–50, 53, 57–61 (Boston–Milwaukee Braves) |
Tom Seaver | 1969, 75 (New York Mets), 1981 (Cincinnati Reds) |
Pitcher | Team and year [39] |
---|---|
Joe McGinnity | Baltimore Orioles (1899), Brooklyn Superbas (1900), New York Giants (1903–04, 06) |
see notes23
Pitcher | Wins–losses | Winning Percentage [40] | Years played |
---|---|---|---|
Albert Spalding | 252–65 | 0.795 | 1871–1878 |
Clayton Kershaw | 210–92 | 0.695 | 2008-2023 |
Dave Foutz | 147–66 | 0.69014 | 1884–1896 |
Whitey Ford | 236–106 | 0.69005 | 1950–1967 |
Bob Caruthers | 218–99 | 0.688 | 1884–1893 |
Pedro Martínez | 219–100 | 0.687 | 1992–2009 |
Lefty Grove | 300–141 | 0.680 | 1925–1941 |
Larry Corcoran | 177–89 | 0.6654 | 1880–1887 |
Christy Mathewson | 373–188 | 0.6649 | 1900–1916 |
Max Scherzer | 214-108 | 0.6646 | 2008-2023 |
Roy Halladay | 203–105 | 0.659 | 1998–2013 |
Vic Raschi | 132–66 | 0.667 (0.660)4 | 1946–1955 |
Sam Leever | 194–100 | 0.660 | 1898–1910 |
Roger Clemens | 354–184 | 0.65799 | 1984–2007 |
Dick McBride | 149–78 | 0.656 | 1871–1876 |
Sandy Koufax | 165–87 | 0.6548 | 1955–1966 |
Johnny Allen | 142–75 | 0.6544 | 1932–1944 |
Ron Guidry | 170–91 | 0.651 | 1975–1988 |
see note5
Pitcher | Winning Pct. [41] | Wins–losses | Team | Season |
---|---|---|---|---|
Roy Face | 0.947 | 18–1 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1959 |
Rick Sutcliffe 6 | 0.941 | 16–1 | Chicago Cubs | 1984 |
Johnny Allen | 0.938 | 15–1 | Cleveland Indians | 1937 |
Phil Regan | 0.933 | 14–1 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 1966 |
Albert Spalding | 0.915 | 54–5 | Boston Red Caps (NA) | 1875 |
Greg Maddux | 0.905 | 19–2 | Atlanta Braves | 1995 |
Randy Johnson | 0.900 | 18–2 | Seattle Mariners | 1995 |
Ron Guidry | 0.893 | 25–3 | New York Yankees | 1978 |
Jack Manning | 0.889 | 16–2 | Boston Red Caps (NA) | 1875 |
Freddie Fitzsimmons | 0.889 | 16–2 | Brooklyn Dodgers | 1940 |
Lefty Grove | 0.886 | 31–4 | Philadelphia Athletics | 1931 |
Bob Stanley | 0.882 | 15–2 | Boston Red Sox | 1978 |
Preacher Roe | 0.880 | 22–3 | Brooklyn Dodgers | 1951 |
Cliff Lee | 0.880 | 22–3 | Cleveland Indians | 2008 |
Fred Goldsmith | 0.875 | 21–3 | Chicago White Stockings | 1880 |
Deacon Phillippe | 0.875 | 14–2 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 1910 |
Ron Davis | 0.875 | 14–2 | New York Yankees | 1979 (r) |
Max Scherzer | 0.875 | 21–3 | Detroit Tigers | 2013 |
Clayton Kershaw | 0.875 | 21–3 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 2014 |
Tom Seaver | 0.875 | 14–2 | Cincinnati Reds | 1981 |
Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was an American professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox. One of the greatest pitchers in history, Grove led the American League in wins in four separate seasons, in strikeouts seven years in a row, and had the league's lowest earned run average a record nine times. Over the course of the three years from 1929 to 1931, he twice won the pitcher's Triple Crown, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA, while amassing a 79–15 record and leading the Athletics to three straight AL championships. Overall, Grove won 300 games in his 17-year MLB career. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947.
In baseball, a player earns a Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories in the same season. The term "Triple Crown" generally refers to the batting achievement of leading a league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI) over the same season. The term "Pitching Triple Crown" refers to the pitching achievement of leading a league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average (ERA).
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.
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.
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.
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).
John Gibson Clarkson was an American 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).
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Robin Evan Roberts was an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher who pitched primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies (1948–1961). He spent the latter part of his career with the Baltimore Orioles (1962–1965), Houston Astros (1965–66), and Chicago Cubs (1966). Roberts was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
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.
Albert Lewis Orth was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He later served as a major league umpire and college baseball coach.
The following are the baseball events of the year 1897 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.
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.
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