Complete Games Year-by-Year Leaders by Baseball Almanac

Year by Year Leaders for Complete Games

Ever wonder who pitched the most complete games the year you were born? How about pitchers from you favorite team — have they ever led the league in complete games?

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a year-by-year leaderboard in Major League complete games for every season since 1901. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.

"But the saddest words of all to a pitcher are three - 'Take Him Out.'" - Complete Games Leader (1908 & 1910) / Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson

Complete Games Year-By-Year Leaders '1901 to 2006'
Year	American League	CG	Team(s)	Year	National League	CG	Team(s)
1901	Joe McGinnity	39	Baltimore	1901	Noodles Hahn	41	Cincinnati
1902	Cy Young	41	Boston	1902	Vic Willis	45	Boston
1903	Cy Young	34	Boston	1903	Joe McGinnity	44	New York
1904	Jack Chesbro	48	New York	1904	Jack Taylor	39	St. Louis
1904	Jack Chesbro	48	New York	1904	Vic Willis	39	Boston
1905	Harry Howell	35	St. Louis	1905	Irv Young	41	Boston
	George Mullin		Detroit
	Eddie Plank		Philadelphia
1906	Al Orth	36	New York	1906	Irv Young	37	Boston
1907	Ed Walsh	37	Chicago	1907	Stoney McGlynn	33	St. Louis
1908	Ed Walsh	42	Chicago	1908	Christy Mathewson	34	New York
1909	Frank Smith	37	Chicago	1909	Mordecai Brown	32	Chicago
1910	Walter Johnson	38	Washington	1910	Mordecai Brown	27	Chicago
					Christy Mathewson		New York
					Nap Rucker		Brooklyn
1911	Walter Johnson	36	Washington	1911	Grover Alexander	31	Philadelphia
1912	Joe Wood	35	Boston	1912	Larry Cheney	28	Chicago
1913	Walter Johnson	29	Washington	1913	Lefty Tyler	28	Boston
1914	Walter Johnson	33	Washington	1914	Grover Alexander	32	Philadelphia
1915	Walter Johnson	35	Washington	1915	Grover Alexander	36	Philadelphia
1916	Walter Johnson	36	Washington	1916	Grover Alexander	38	Philadelphia
1917	Babe Ruth	35	Boston	1917	Grover Alexander	34	Philadelphia
1918	Carl Mays	30	Boston	1918	Art Nehf	28	Boston
1918	Scott Perry	30	Philadelphia	1918	Art Nehf	28	Boston
1919	Eddie Cicotte	30	Chicago	1919	Wilbur Cooper	27	Pittsburgh
1920	Jim Bagby	30	Cleveland	1920	Grover Alexander	33	Chicago
1921	Red Faber	32	Chicago	1921	Burleigh Grimes	30	Brooklyn
1922	Red Faber	31	Chicago	1922	Wilbur Cooper	27	Pittsburgh
1923	George Uhle	29	Cleveland	1923	Burleigh Grimes	33	Brooklyn
1924	Sloppy Thurston	28	Chicago	1924	Burleigh Grimes	30	Brooklyn
1924	Sloppy Thurston	28	Chicago	1924	Dazzy Vance	30	Brooklyn
1925	Howard Ehmke	22	Boston	1925	Pete Donohue	27	Cincinnati
1925	Sherry Smith	22	Cleveland	1925	Pete Donohue	27	Cincinnati
1926	George Uhle	32	Cleveland	1926	Carl Mays	24	Cincinnati
1927	Ted Lyons	30	Chicago	1927	Jesse Haines	25	St. Louis
					Lee Meadows		Pittsburgh
					Dazzy Vance		Brooklyn
1928	Red Ruffing	25	Boston	1928	Larry Benton	28	New York
1928	Red Ruffing	25	Boston	1928	Burleigh Grimes	28	Pittsburgh
1929	Tommy Thomas	24	Chicago	1929	Red Lucas	28	Cincinnati
1930	Ted Lyons	29	Chicago	1930	Erv Brame	22	Pittsburgh
1930	Ted Lyons	29	Chicago	1930	Pat Malone	22	Chicago
1931	Wes Ferrell	27	Cleveland	1931	Red Lucas	24	Cincinnati
1931	Lefty Grove	27	Philadelphia	1931	Red Lucas	24	Cincinnati
1932	Lefty Grove	27	Philadelphia	1932	Red Lucas	28	Cincinnati
1933	Lefty Grove	21	Philadelphia	1933	Dizzy Dean	26	St. Louis
1933	Lefty Grove	21	Philadelphia	1933	Lon Warneke	26	Chicago
1934	Lefty Gomez	25	New York	1934	Carl Hubbell	25	New York
1935	Wes Ferrell	31	Boston	1935	Dizzy Dean	29	St. Louis
1936	Wes Ferrell	28	Boston	1936	Dizzy Dean	28	St. Louis
1937	Wes Ferrell	26	Boston	1937	Jim Turner	24	-
1937	Wes Ferrell	26	Washington	1937	Jim Turner	24	-
1938	Bobo Newsom	31	St. Louis	1938	Paul Derringer	26	Cincinnati
1939	Bob Feller	24	Cleveland	1939	Bucky Walters	31	Cincinnati
	Bobo Newsom		St. Louis
	Bobo Newsom		Detroit
1940	Bob Feller	31	Cleveland	1940	Bucky Walters	29	Cincinnati
1941	Thornton Lee	30	Chicago	1941	Bucky Walters	27	Cincinnati
1942	Tiny Bonham	22	New York	1942	Jim Tobin	28	Boston
1942	Tex Hughson	22	Boston	1942	Jim Tobin	28	Boston
1943	Spud Chandler	20	New York	1943	Rip Sewell	25	Pittsburgh
1943	Tex Hughson	20	Boston	1943	Rip Sewell	25	Pittsburgh
1944	Dizzy Trout	33	Detroit	1944	Jim Tobin	28	Boston
1945	Hal Newhouser	29	Detroit	1945	Red Barrett	24	Boston
1945	Hal Newhouser	29	Detroit	1945	Red Barrett	24	St. Louis
1946	Bob Feller	36	Cleveland	1946	Johnny Sain	24	Boston
1947	Hal Newhouser	24	Detroit	1947	Ewell Blackwell	23	Cincinnati
1948	Bob Lemon	20	Cleveland	1948	Johnny Sain	28	Boston
1949	Mel Parnell	27	Boston	1949	Warren Spahn	25	Boston
1950	Ned Garver	22	St. Louis	1950	Vern Bickford	27	Boston
1950	Bob Lemon	22	Cleveland	1950	Vern Bickford	27	Boston
1951	Ned Garver	24	St. Louis	1951	Warren Spahn	26	Boston
1952	Bob Lemon	28	Cleveland	1952	Robin Roberts	30	Philadelphia
1953	Bob Porterfield	24	Washington	1953	Robin Roberts	33	Philadelphia
1954	Bob Lemon	21	Cleveland	1954	Robin Roberts	29	Philadelphia
1954	Bob Porterfield	21	Washington	1954	Robin Roberts	29	Philadelphia
1955	Whitey Ford	18	New York	1955	Robin Roberts	26	Philadelphia
1956	Bob Lemon	21	Cleveland	1956	Robin Roberts	22	Philadelphia
1956	Billy Pierce	21	Chicago	1956	Robin Roberts	22	Philadelphia
1957	Dick Donovan	16	Chicago	1957	Warren Spahn	18	Milwaukee
1957	Billy Pierce	16	Chicago	1957	Warren Spahn	18	Milwaukee
1958	Frank Lary	19	Detroit	1958	Warren Spahn	23	Milwaukee
	Billy Pierce		Chicago
	Bob Turley		New York
1959	Camilo Pascual	17	Washington	1959	Warren Spahn	21	Milwaukee
1960	Frank Lary	15	Detroit	1960	Lew Burdette	18	Milwaukee
					Vern Law		Pittsburgh
					Warren Spahn		Milwaukee
1961	Frank Lary	22	Detroit	1961	Warren Spahn	21	Milwaukee
1962	Camilo Pascual	18	Minnesota	1962	Warren Spahn	22	Milwaukee
1963	Camilo Pascual	18	Minnesota	1963	Warren Spahn	22	Milwaukee
1963	Ralph Terry	18	New York	1963	Warren Spahn	22	Milwaukee
1964	Dean Chance	15	Los Angeles	1964	Juan Marichal	22	San Francisco
1965	Mel Stottlemyre	18	New York	1965	Sandy Koufax	27	Los Angeles
1966	Jim Kaat	19	Minnesota	1966	Sandy Koufax	27	Los Angeles
1967	Dean Chance	18	Minnesota	1967	Fergie Jenkins	20	Chicago
1968	Denny McLain	28	Detroit	1968	Juan Marichal	30	San Francisco
1969	Mel Stottlemyre	24	New York	1969	Bob Gibson	28	St. Louis
1970	Mike Cuellar	21	Baltimore	1970	Fergie Jenkins	24	Chicago
1971	Mickey Lolich	29	Detroit	1971	Fergie Jenkins	30	Chicago
1972	Gaylord Perry	29	Cleveland	1972	Steve Carlton	30	Philadelphia
1973	Gaylord Perry	29	Cleveland	1973	Steve Carlton	18	Philadelphia
1973	Gaylord Perry	29	Cleveland	1973	Tom Seaver	18	New York
1974	Fergie Jenkins	29	Texas	1974	Phil Niekro	18	Atlanta
1975	Catfish Hunter	30	New York	1975	Andy Messersmith	19	Los Angeles
1976	Mark Fidrych	24	Detroit	1976	Randy Jones	25	San Diego
1977	Jim Palmer	22	Baltimore	1977	Phil Niekro	20	Atlanta
1977	Nolan Ryan	22	California	1977	Phil Niekro	20	Atlanta
1978	Mike Caldwell	23	Milwaukee	1978	Phil Niekro	22	Atlanta
1979	Dennis Martinez	18	Baltimore	1979	Phil Niekro	23	Atlanta
1980	Rick Langford	28	Oakland	1980	Steve Rogers	14	Montreal
1981	Rick Langford	18	Oakland	1981	Fernando Valenzuela	11	Los Angeles
1982	Dave Stieb	19	Toronto	1982	Steve Carlton	19	Philadelphia
1983	Ron Guidry	21	New York	1983	Mario Soto	18	Cincinnati
1984	Charlie Hough	17	Texas	1984	Mario Soto	13	Cincinnati
1985	Bert Blyleven	24	Cleveland	1985	Dwight Gooden	16	New York
1985	Bert Blyleven	24	Minnesota	1985	Dwight Gooden	16	New York
1986	Tom Candiotti	17	Cleveland	1986	Fernando Valenzuela	20	Los Angeles
1987	Roger Clemens	18	Boston	1987	Rick Reuschel	12	Pittsburgh
					Rick Reuschel		San Francisco
					Fernando Valenzuela		Los Angeles
1988	Roger Clemens	14	Boston	1988	Orel Hershiser	15	Los Angeles
1988	Dave Stewart	14	Oakland	1988	Danny Jackson	15	Cincinnati
1989	Bret Saberhagen	12	Kansas City	1989	Tim Belcher	10	Los Angeles
1989	Bret Saberhagen	12	Kansas City	1989	Bruce Hurst	10	San Diego
1990	Jack Morris	11	Detroit	1990	Ramon Martinez	12	Los Angeles
1990	Dave Stewart	11	Oakland	1990	Ramon Martinez	12	Los Angeles
1991	Jack McDowell	15	Chicago	1991	Tom Glavine	9	Atlanta
1991	Jack McDowell	15	Chicago	1991	Dennis Martinez	9	Montreal
1992	Jack McDowell	13	Chicago	1992	Terry Mulholland	12	Philadelphia
1993	Chuck Finley	13	California	1993	Greg Maddux	8	Atlanta
1994	Randy Johnson	9	Seattle	1994	Greg Maddux	10	Atlanta
1995	Jack McDowell	8	New York	1995	Greg Maddux	10	Atlanta
1996	Pat Hentgen	10	Toronto	1996	Curt Schilling	8	Philadelphia
1997	Roger Clemens	9	Toronto	1997	Pedro Martinez	13	Montreal
1997	Pat Hentgen	9	Toronto	1997	Pedro Martinez	13	Montreal
1998	Scott Erickson	11	Baltimore	1998	Curt Schilling	15	Philadelphia
1999	David Wells	7	Toronto	1999	Randy Johnson	12	Arizona
2000	David Wells	9	Toronto	2000	Randy Johnson	8	Arizona
2000	David Wells	9	Toronto	2000	Curt Schilling	8	Arizona
2001	Steve Sparks	8	Detroit	2001	Curt Schilling	6	Arizona
2002	Paul Byrd	7	Kansas City	2002	Randy Johnson	8	Arizona
2003	Bartolo Colon	9	Chicago	2003	Livan Hernandez	8	Montreal
	Roy Halladay		Toronto
	Mark Mulder		Oakland
2004	Mark Mulder	5	Oakland	2004	Livan Hernandez	9	Montreal
	Sidney Ponson		Baltimore
	Jake Westbrook		Cleveland
2005	Roy Halladay	5	Toronto	2005	Chris Carpenter	7	St. Louis
2005	Roy Halladay	5	Toronto	2005	Dontrelle Willis	7	Florida
2006	C.C. Sabathia	6	Cleveland	2006	Aaron Harang	6	Cincinnati
Year	American League	CG	Team(s)	Year	National League	CG	Team(s)
Complete Games Year-By-Year Leaders

Several players who led their league in complete games also won a Cy Young Award that particular year. Compare this chart to that page to see how important complete games really are when determining the recipient of pitching's biggest award.

From 1957 through 1963 Warren Spahn led or tied the National League in complete games setting a Major League record for most consecutive seasons leading a league in complete games.

No pitcher on this page has more than fifty complete games during a season. However, did you know that the top one-hundred single season leaders all fit the criteria that these pitchers do not?