20 Wins Club American League Pitchers 1951

20 Wins Club : 1951 - 1975

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 1951 through 1975 who are members of the American League 20 Wins Club. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.

"Where the ball went was up to heaven. Sometimes I threw the ball clean up into the stands." - Bob Feller

Twenty Wins Club '1951 to 1975' In Chronological Order
Name	Team	Wins	Losses	Year	Top 25
Bob Feller⁽⁶⁾	Cleveland	22	8	1951	Top 25
Ed Lopat⁽¹⁾	New York	21	9
Vic Raschi⁽³⁾	New York	21	10
Mike Garcia⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	20	13
Ned Garver⁽¹⁾	St. Louis	20	12
Early Wynn⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	20	13
Bobby Shantz⁽¹⁾	Philadelphia	24	7	1952	Top 25
Early Wynn⁽²⁾	Cleveland	23	12
Mike Garcia⁽²⁾	Cleveland	22	11
Bob Lemon⁽⁴⁾	Cleveland	22	11
Allie Reynolds⁽¹⁾	New York	20	8
Bob Porterfield⁽¹⁾	Washington	22	10	1953	Top 25
Bob Lemon⁽⁵⁾	Cleveland	21	15
Mel Parnell⁽²⁾	Boston	21	8
Virgil Trucks⁽¹⁾	St. Louis⁽⁵⁾ & Chicago⁽¹⁵⁾	20	10
Bob Lemon⁽⁶⁾	Cleveland	23	7	1954	Top 25
Early Wynn⁽³⁾	Cleveland	23	11
Bob Grim⁽¹⁾	New York	20	6
Not Accomplished	n/a	n/a	n/a	1955	Top 25
Frank Lary⁽¹⁾	Detroit	21	13	1956	Top 25
Billy Hoeft⁽¹⁾	Detroit	20	14
Bob Lemon⁽⁷⁾	Cleveland	20	14
Billy Pierce⁽¹⁾	Chicago	20	9
Herb Score⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	20	9
Early Wynn⁽⁴⁾	Cleveland	20	9
Jim Bunning⁽¹⁾	Detroit	20	8	1957	Top 25
Billy Pierce⁽²⁾	Chicago	20	12	1957	Top 25
Bob Turley⁽¹⁾	New York	21	7	1958	Top 25
Early Wynn⁽⁵⁾	Chicago	22	10	1959	Top 25
Not Accomplished	n/a	n/a	n/a	1960	Top 25
Whitey Ford⁽¹⁾	New York	25	4	1961	Top 25
Frank Lary⁽²⁾	Detroit	23	9	1961	Top 25
Ralph Terry⁽¹⁾	New York	23	12	1962	Top 25
Dick Donovan⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	20	10
Ray Herbert⁽¹⁾	Chicago	20	9
Camilo Pascual⁽¹⁾	Minnesota	20	11
Whitey Ford⁽²⁾	New York	24	7	1963	Top 25
Jim Bouton⁽¹⁾	New York	21	7
Camilo Pascual⁽²⁾	Minnesota	21	9
Steve Barber⁽¹⁾	Baltimore	20	13
Bill Monbouquette⁽¹⁾	Boston	20	10
Dean Chance⁽¹⁾	Los Angeles	20	9	1964	Top 25
Gary Peters⁽¹⁾	Chicago	20	8	1964	Top 25
Mudcat Grant⁽¹⁾	Minnesota	21	7	1965	Top 25
Mel Stottlemyre⁽¹⁾	New York	20	9	1965	Top 25
Jim Kaat⁽¹⁾	Minnesota	25	13	1966	Top 25
Denny McLain⁽¹⁾	Detroit	20	14	1966	Top 25
Jim Lonborg⁽¹⁾	Boston	22	9	1967	Top 25
Earl Wilson⁽¹⁾	Detroit	22	11
Dean Chance⁽²⁾	Minnesota	20	14
Denny McLain⁽²⁾	Detroit	31	6	1968	Top 25
Dave McNally⁽¹⁾	Baltimore	22	10
Mel Stottlemyre⁽²⁾	New York	21	12
Luis Tiant⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	21	9
Denny McLain⁽³⁾	Detroit	24	9	1969	Top 25
Mike Cuellar⁽¹⁾	Baltimore	23	11
Dave Boswell⁽¹⁾	Minnesota	20	12
Dave McNally⁽²⁾	Baltimore	20	7
Jim Perry⁽¹⁾	Minnesota	20	6
Mel Stottlemyre⁽³⁾	New York	20	14
Mike Cuellar⁽²⁾	Baltimore	24	8	1970	Top 25
Dave McNally⁽³⁾	Baltimore	24	9
Jim Perry⁽²⁾	Minnesota	24	12
Clyde Wright⁽¹⁾	California	22	12
Sam McDowell⁽¹⁾	Cleveland	20	12
Jim Palmer⁽¹⁾	Baltimore	20	10
Fritz Peterson⁽¹⁾	New York	20	11
Mickey Lolich⁽¹⁾	Detroit	25	14	1971	Top 25
Vida Blue⁽¹⁾	Oakland	24	8
Wilbur Wood⁽¹⁾	Chicago	22	13
Dave McNally⁽⁴⁾	Baltimore	21	5
Catfish Hunter⁽¹⁾	Oakland	21	11
Joe Coleman⁽¹⁾	Detroit	20	9
Mike Cuellar⁽³⁾	Baltimore	20	9
Pat Dobson⁽¹⁾	Baltimore	20	8
Andy Messersmith⁽¹⁾	California	20	13
Jim Palmer⁽²⁾	Baltimore	20	9
Gaylord Perry⁽³⁾	Cleveland	24	16	1972	Top 25
Wilbur Wood⁽²⁾	Chicago	24	17
Mickey Lolich⁽²⁾	Detroit	22	14
Stan Bahnsen⁽¹⁾	Chicago	21	16
Catfish Hunter⁽²⁾	Oakland	21	7
Jim Palmer⁽³⁾	Baltimore	21	10
Wilbur Wood⁽³⁾	Chicago	24	20	1973	Top 25
Joe Coleman⁽²⁾	Detroit	23	15
Jim Palmer⁽⁴⁾	Baltimore	22	9
Ken Holtzman⁽¹⁾	Oakland	21	13
Catfish Hunter⁽³⁾	Oakland	21	5
Nolan Ryan⁽¹⁾	California	21	16
Vida Blue⁽²⁾	Oakland	20	9
Bert Blyleven⁽¹⁾	Minnesota	20	17
Jim Colborn⁽¹⁾	Milwaukee	20	12
Bill Singer⁽²⁾	California	20	14
Paul Splittorff⁽¹⁾	Kansas City	20	11
Luis Tiant⁽²⁾	Boston	20	13
Catfish Hunter⁽⁴⁾	Oakland	25	12	1974	Top 25
Fergie Jenkins⁽⁷⁾	Texas	25	12
Steve Busby⁽¹⁾	Kansas City	22	14
Mike Cuellar⁽⁴⁾	Baltimore	22	10
Nolan Ryan⁽²⁾	California	22	16
Luis Tiant⁽³⁾	Boston	22	13
Jim Kaat⁽²⁾	Chicago	21	13
Gaylord Perry⁽⁴⁾	Cleveland	21	13
Wilbur Wood⁽⁴⁾	Chicago	20	19
Catfish Hunter⁽⁵⁾	New York	23	14	1975	Top 25
Jim Palmer⁽⁵⁾	Baltimore	23	11
Vida Blue⁽³⁾	Oakland	22	11
Jim Kaat⁽³⁾	Chicago	20	14
Mike Torrez⁽¹⁾	Baltimore	20	9
Name	Team	Wins	Losses	Year	Top 25
Twenty Wins Club

Did you know that during the 1910 season Jack Coombs set the American League record for most shutouts by a twenty (20) game winner with thirteen (13)?

Most strikeouts by an American League pitcher during a twenty (20) win season are three-hundred eighty-three (383) by Nolan Ryan in 1973. Fewest? Thirty-seven (37) by Sloppy Thurston in 1924.

In 1908, Ed Walsh pitched four-hundred sixty-four (464) innings which is the most by any American League twenty (20) game winner during a twenty (20) win season.

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