20 Wins Club National League Pitchers 1876

20 Wins Club : 1876 - 1889

Twenty wins in a single season is a truly a magical plateau. Jim Bouton wrote in his classic book Ball Four, "If you had a pill that would guarantee a pitcher twenty wins, but might take five years off his life, he'd take it."

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the pitchers from 1876 through 1889 who are members of the National League 20 Wins Club. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season. Quantities are cumulative, consecutive and include instances from other major leagues also.

"Dubbed Old Hoss for his dependability and endurance, Radbourne was a marvel even in an era when teams commonly used only two (2) starting pitchers." - Author Jack Kavanagh

Twenty Wins Club '1876 to 1889' In Chronological Order
Name^(Quantity)	Team	Wins	Losses	Year	Top 25
Al Spalding⁽¹⁾	Chicago	47	12	1876	Top 25
George Bradley⁽¹⁾	St. Louis	45	19
Tommy Bond⁽¹⁾	Hartford	31	13
Jim Devlin⁽¹⁾	Louisville	30	35
Bobby Mathews⁽¹⁾	New York	21	34
Tommy Bond⁽²⁾	Boston	40	17	1877	Top 25
Jim Devlin⁽²⁾	Louisville	35	25
Terry Larkin⁽¹⁾	Hartford	29	25
Tommy Bond⁽³⁾	Boston	40	19	1878	Top 25
Will White⁽¹⁾	Cincinnati	30	21
Terry Larkin⁽²⁾	Chicago	29	26
John Ward⁽¹⁾	Providence	22	13
John Ward⁽²⁾	Providence	47	19	1879	Top 25
Tommy Bond⁽⁴⁾	Boston	43	19
Will White⁽²⁾	Cincinnati	43	31
Pud Galvin⁽¹⁾	Buffalo	37	27
Terry Larkin⁽³⁾	Chicago	31	23
Jim McCormick⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	20	40
Jim McCormick⁽²⁾	Cleveland	45	28	1880	Top 25
Larry Corcoran⁽¹⁾	Chicago	43	14
John Ward⁽³⁾	Providence	39	24
Mickey Welch⁽¹⁾	Troy	34	30
Lee Richmond⁽¹⁾	Worcester	32	32
Tommy Bond⁽⁵⁾	Boston	26	29
Fred Goldsmith⁽¹⁾	Chicago	21	3
Pud Galvin⁽²⁾	Buffalo	20	35
Larry Corcoran⁽²⁾	Chicago	31	14	1881	Top 25
Jim Whitney⁽¹⁾	Boston	31	33
George Derby⁽¹⁾	Detroit	29	26
Pud Galvin⁽³⁾	Buffalo	28	24
Jim McCormick⁽³⁾	Cleveland	26	30
Old Hoss Radbourn⁽¹⁾	Providence	25	11
Lee Richmond⁽²⁾	Worcester	25	26
Fred Goldsmith⁽²⁾	Chicago	24	13
Mickey Welch⁽²⁾	Troy	21	18
Jim McCormick⁽⁴⁾	Cleveland	36	30	1882	Top 25
Old Hoss Radbourn⁽²⁾	Providence	33	20
Pud Galvin⁽⁴⁾	Buffalo	28	23
Fred Goldsmith⁽³⁾	Chicago	28	17
Larry Corcoran⁽³⁾	Chicago	27	12
Stump Wiedman⁽¹⁾	Detroit	25	20
Jim Whitney⁽²⁾	Boston	24	21
Old Hoss Radbourn⁽³⁾	Providence	48	25	1883	Top 25
Pud Galvin⁽⁵⁾	Buffalo	46	29
Jim Whitney⁽³⁾	Boston	37	21
Larry Corcoran⁽⁴⁾	Chicago	34	20
Jim McCormick⁽⁵⁾	Cleveland	28	12
Charlie Buffinton⁽¹⁾	Boston	25	14
Fred Goldsmith⁽⁴⁾	Chicago	25	19
Mickey Welch⁽³⁾	New York	25	23
Hugh Daily⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	23	19
Stump Wiedman⁽²⁾	Detroit	22	24
Old Hoss Radbourn⁽⁴⁾	Providence	59	12	1884	Top 25
Charlie Buffinton⁽²⁾	Boston	48	16
Pud Galvin⁽⁶⁾	Buffalo	46	22
Mickey Welch⁽⁴⁾	New York	39	21
Larry Corcoran⁽⁵⁾	Chicago	35	23
Jim Whitney⁽⁴⁾	Boston	23	14
Charlie Ferguson⁽¹⁾	Philadelphia	21	25
John Clarkson⁽¹⁾	Chicago	53	16	1885	Top 25
Mickey Welch⁽⁵⁾	New York	44	11
Tim Keefe⁽³⁾	New York	32	13
Old Hoss Radbourn⁽⁵⁾	Providence	28	21
Ed Daily⁽¹⁾	Philadelphia	26	23
Charlie Ferguson⁽²⁾	Philadelphia	26	20
Dupee Shaw⁽²⁾	Providence	23	26
Charlie Buffinton⁽³⁾	Boston	22	27
Jim McCormick⁽⁸⁾	Providence	20	4
Lady Baldwin⁽¹⁾	Detroit	42	13	1886	Top 25
Tim Keefe⁽⁴⁾	New York	42	20
John Clarkson⁽²⁾	Chicago	36	17
Mickey Welch⁽⁶⁾	New York	33	22
Jim McCormick⁽⁹⁾	Chicago	31	11
Charlie Ferguson⁽³⁾	Philadelphia	30	9
Charlie Getzien⁽¹⁾	Detroit	30	11
Old Hoss Radbourn⁽⁶⁾	Boston	27	31
Dan Casey⁽¹⁾	Philadelphia	24	18
Jocko Flynn⁽¹⁾	Chicago	23	6
Bill Stemmeyer⁽¹⁾	Boston	22	18
John Clarkson⁽³⁾	Chicago	38	21	1887	Top 25
Tim Keefe⁽⁵⁾	New York	35	19
Charlie Getzien⁽²⁾	Detroit	29	13
Dan Casey⁽²⁾	Philadelphia	28	13
Pud Galvin⁽⁷⁾	Pittsburgh	28	21
Old Hoss Radbourn⁽⁷⁾	Boston	24	23
Jim Whitney⁽⁵⁾	Washington	24	21
Charlie Ferguson⁽⁴⁾	Philadelphia	22	10
Mickey Welch⁽⁷⁾	New York	22	15
Charlie Buffinton⁽⁴⁾	Philadelphia	21	17
Kid Madden⁽¹⁾	Boston	21	14
Tim Keefe⁽⁶⁾	New York	35	12	1888	Top 25
John Clarkson⁽⁴⁾	Boston	33	20
Pete Conway⁽¹⁾	Detroit	30	14
Ed Morris⁽⁴⁾	Pittsburgh	29	23
Charlie Buffinton⁽⁵⁾	Philadelphia	28	17
Mickey Welch⁽⁸⁾	New York	26	19
Gus Krock⁽¹⁾	Chicago	25	14
Pud Galvin⁽⁸⁾	Pittsburgh	23	25
John Clarkson⁽⁵⁾	Boston	49	19	1889	Top 25
Charlie Buffinton⁽⁶⁾	Philadelphia	28	16
Tim Keefe⁽⁷⁾	New York	28	13
Mickey Welch⁽⁹⁾	New York	27	12
Pud Galvin⁽⁹⁾	Pittsburgh	23	16
Darby O'Brien⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	22	17
Henry Boyle⁽¹⁾	Indianapolis	21	23
Harry Staley⁽¹⁾	Pittsburgh	21	26
Ed Beatin⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	20	15
Old Hoss Radbourn⁽⁸⁾	Boston	20	11
Name^(Quantity)	Team	Wins	Losses	Year	Top 25
Twenty Wins Club

Did you know that during the 1876 season Jim Devlin and Bobby Mathews became the first twenty (20) plus game winners to have more losses than victories?

Jim McCormick left the National League in 1884 to play in the Union Association. He missed making the National League list by one (1), yet went on to win a combined dual league total of forty-one (41) victories.

During the 1884 season Old Hoss Radbourn set the all time single season record for most wins in ANY league ever by any pitcher.

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