Games Lost All Time Leaders by Baseball Almanac

Career Leaders for Games Lost

The all time losers — or are they? The following pitchers have all lost more games than their counterparts and each of them has amassed more than one-hundred sixty-five (165) lost games. Why did they still pitch? Because many of them also lead in victories, strikeouts, saves and other statistics.

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-hundred (100) all-time career leaders in Major League games lost. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.

"Too many pitchers, that's all, there are just too many pitchers." - Hall of Fame Pitcher Cy Young (#1 Ranked Games Lost Leader)

Losses All Time Leaders 'Top 100'
Name	Games	Rank
Cy Young	316	1
Pud Galvin	308	2
Nolan Ryan	292	3
Walter Johnson	279	4
Phil Niekro	274	5
Gaylord Perry	265	6
Don Sutton	256	7
Jack Powell	254	8
Eppa Rixey	251	9
Bert Blyleven	250	10
Robin Roberts	245	11
Warren Spahn	245
Steve Carlton	244	13
Early Wynn	244
Jim Kaat	237	15
Frank Tanana	236	16
Gus Weyhing	232	17
Tommy John	231	18
Bob Friend	230	19
Ted Lyons	230
Greg Maddux	227	21
Fergie Jenkins	226	22
Tim Keefe	225	23
Red Ruffing	225
Bobo Newsom	222	25
Tony Mullane	220	26
Jack Quinn	218	27
Sam Jones	217	28
Charlie Hough	216	29
Jim McCormick	214	30
Red Faber	213	31
Paul Derringer	212	32
Chick Fraser	212
Burleigh Grimes	212
Mickey Welch	210	35
Jerry Koosman	209	36
Grover Alexander	208	37
Kid Nichols	208
Tom Seaver	205	39
Vic Willis	205
Joe Niekro	204	41
Jim Whitney	204
Tom Glavine	203	43
George Mullin	196	44
Adonis Terry	196
Claude Osteen	195	46
Old Hoss Radbourn	195
Eddie Plank	194	48
Dennis Martinez	193	49
Mickey Lolich	191	50
Rick Reuschel	191
Jerry Reuss	191
Tom Zachary	191
Al Orth	189	54
Christy Mathewson	188	55
Mel Harder	186	56
Mike Morgan	186
Jack Morris	186
Jamie Moyer	185	59
Earl Whitehill	185
Jim Bunning	184	61
Roger Clemens	184
Joe Bush	183	63
Larry Jackson	183
Curt Simmons	183
Danny Darwin	182	66
Hooks Dauss	182
Waite Hoyt	182
Murry Dickson	181	69
Dutch Leonard	181
Rick Wise	181
Lee Meadows	180	72
Pink Hawley	179	73
Dolf Luque	179
John Clarkson	178	75
Wilbur Cooper	178
Bill Dinneen	177	77
Rube Marquard	177
Mike Moore	176	79
Red Donahue	175	80
Tom Hughes	175
Doyle Alexander	174	82
Bob Gibson	174
Jim Perry	174
Amos Rusie	174
Chuck Finley	173	86
Luis Tiant	172	87
Dennis Eckersley	171	88
Larry French	171
Ted Breitenstein	170	90
Camilo Pascual	170
Billy Pierce	169	92
Red Ames	167	93
Jim Clancy	167
Bert Cunningham	167
Red Ehret	167
Don Drysdale	166	97
Howard Ehmke	166
Catfish Hunter	166
George Uhle	166	100
Will White	166
Name	Games	Rank
Current Through 2008 Season

Did you know that hall of fame pitcher Cy Young, who is number one on the top one-hundred (100) games lost chart above, is also the all time wins leader?

Nolan Ryan, who is third in games lost over the course of a Major League career, has also walked more ballplayers than any other pitcher in Major League history.

During the 1883 season John Coleman set the Major League single season record with forty-eight (48) games lost — more than some entire teams have lost combined during a complete season.

Copyright © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Design by Geisler Young. Hosted by Hosting 4 Less.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Football Almanac | Pigskin Fever | Today in Baseball History.