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.
"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
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Name | Team | W | L | Year | Top 25 |
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 |
Name | Team | W | L | Year | Top 25 |
Twenty Wins Club | Research by Baseball Almanac |
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.