20 Wins Club : 1976 - 2023

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 1976 through 2023, who are members of the American League 20 Wins Club.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"You don't face (Nolan) Ryan without your rest. He's the only guy I go against that makes me go to bed before midnight." - Reggie Jackson

Twenty Wins Club
'1976 - 2023'

In Chronological Order

Jim Palmer (6) Baltimore 22 13 1976 Top 25
Luis Tiant (4) Boston 21 12
Wayne Garland (1) Baltimore 20 7
David Goltz (1) Minnesota 20 11 1977 Top 25
Dennis Leonard (1) Kansas City 20 12
Jim Palmer (7) Baltimore 20 11
Ron Guidry (1) New York 25 3 1978 Top 25
Mike Caldwell (1) Milwaukee 22 9
Dennis Leonard (2) Kansas City 21 17
Jim Palmer (8) Baltimore 21 12
Dennis Eckersley (1) Boston 20 8
Ed Figueroa (1) New York 20 9
Mike Flanagan (1) Baltimore 23 9 1979 Top 25
Tommy John (2) New York 21 9
Jerry Koosman (2) Minnesota 20 13
Steve Stone (1) Baltimore 25 7 1980 Top 25
Tommy John (3) New York 22 9
Mike Norris (1) Oakland 22 9
Dennis Leonard (3) Kansas City 20 11
Scott McGregor (1) Baltimore 20 8
Not Accomplished n/a -- -- 1981 Top 25
Not Accomplished n/a -- -- 1982 Top 25
La Marr Hoyt (1) Chicago 24 10 1983 Top 25
Richard Dotson (1) Chicago 22 7
Ron Guidry (2) New York 21 9
Jack Morris (1) Detroit 20 13
Mike Boddicker (1) Baltimore 20 11 1984 Top 25
Ron Guidry (3) New York 22 6 1985 Top 25
Bret Saberhagen (1) Kansas City 20 6
Roger Clemens (1) Boston 24 4 1986 Top 25
Jack Morris (2) Detroit 21 8
Teddy Higuera (1) Milwaukee 20 11
Roger Clemens (2) Boston 20 9 1987 Top 25
Dave Stewart (1) Oakland 20 13
Frank Viola (1) Minnesota 24 7 1988 Top 25
Dave Stewart (2) Oakland 21 12
Mark Gubicza (1) Kansas City 20 8
Bret Saberhagen (2) Kansas City 23 6 1989 Top 25
Dave Stewart (3) Oakland 21 9
Bob Welch (1) Oakland 27 6 1990 Top 25
Dave Stewart (4) Oakland 22 11
Roger Clemens (3) Boston 21 6
Scott Erickson (1) Minnesota 20 8 1991 Top 25
Bill Gullickson (1) Detroit 20 9
Kevin Brown (1) Texas 21 11 1992 Top 25
Jack Morris (3) Toronto 21 6
Jack McDowell (1) Chicago 20 10
Jack McDowell (2) Chicago 22 10 1993 Top 25
Not Accomplished n/a -- -- 1994 Top 25
Not Accomplished n/a -- -- 1995 Top 25
Andy Pettitte (1) New York 21 8 1996 Top 25
Pat Hentgen (1) Toronto 20 10
Roger Clemens (4) Toronto 21 7 1997 Top 25
Randy Johnson (1) Seattle 20 4
Brad Radke (1) Minnesota 20 10
David Cone (2) New York 20 7 1998 Top 25
Roger Clemens (5) Toronto 20 6
Rick Helling (1) Texas 20 7
Pedro Martinez (1) Boston 23 4 1999 Top 25
Tim Hudson (1) Oakland 20 6 2000 Top 25
David Wells (1) Toronto 20 8
Mark Mulder (1) Oakland 21 8 2001 Top 25
Roger Clemens (6) New York 20 3
Jamie Moyer (1) Seattle 20 6
Barry Zito (1) Oakland 21 5 2002 Top 25
Derek Lowe (1) Boston 21 7
Pedro Martinez (2) Boston 20 4
Roy Halladay (1) Toronto 22 7 2003 Top 25
Esteban Loaiza (1) Chicago 21 9
Jamie Moyer (2) Seattle 21 7
Andy Pettitte (2) New York 21 8
Curt Schilling (3) Boston 21 6 2004 Top 25
Johan Santana (1) Minnesota 20 6
Bartolo Colon (2) Los Angeles 21 8 2005 Top 25
Not Accomplished n/a -- -- 2006 Top 25
Josh Beckett (1) Boston 20 7 2007 Top 25
Cliff Lee (1) Cleveland 22 3 2008 Top 25
Roy Halladay (2) Toronto 20 11
Mike Mussina (1) New York 20 9
Not Accomplished n/a -- -- 2009 Top 25
CC Sabathia (1) New York 21 7 2010 Top 25
Justin Verlander (1) Detroit 24 5 2011 Top 25
David Price (1) Tampa Bay 20 5 2012 Top 25
Jered Weaver (1) Los Angeles 20 5
Max Scherzer (1) Detroit 21 3 2013 Top 25
Not Accomplished n/a -- -- 2014 Top 25
Dallas Keuchel (1) Houston 20 8 2015 Top 25
Rick Porcello (1) Boston 22 4 2016 Top 25
J.A. Happ (1) Toronto 20 4
Not Accomplished n/a -- -- 2017 Top 25
Blake Snell (1) Tampa Bay 21 5 2018 Top 25
Corey Kluber (1) Cleveland 20 7
Justin Verlander (2) Houston 21 6 2019 Top 25
Gerrit Cole (1) Houston 20 5
Not Accomplished -- -- -- 2020 Top 25
Not Accomplished -- -- -- 2021 Top 25
Not Accomplished -- -- -- 2022 Top 25
Not Accomplished -- -- -- 2023 Top 25
Twenty Wins Club | Research by Baseball Almanac
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baseball almanac fast facts

Did you know that the most home runs allowed by an American League twenty game winner is forty-two by Denny McLain in 1966?

During the 1974 season Nolan Ryan walked two-hundred two batters which is the most by any American League twenty game winner.

Which American League pitcher had the most saves during his twenty win season? Believe it not, it was Chief Bender with thirteen in 1913.