Single Season Leaders for Games Lost

The single season losers — or are they? The following pitchers have all lost more games in a single season than their counterparts. Why did they still pitch? Because many of them also lead the season in victories, strikeouts and / or saves.

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-hundred (100) all-time single season leaders in Major League games lost Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"I was the greatest rookie that ever was." - Hall of Fame Pitcher Walter Johnson (#1 Ranked Leader in American League Career Games Lost / Does Not Appear on Top 100 Single Season Leaders for Games Lost)
Losses
Single Season Leaders

'Top 100'
John Coleman 48 1883 Philadelphia Phillies NL 1
Will White 42 1880 Cincinnati Reds NL 2
Larry McKeon 41 1884 Indianapolis Blues AA 3
George Bradley 40 1879 Troy Trojans NL 4
Jim McCormick 40 1879 Cleveland Blues NL  
Kid Carsey 37 1891 Washington Senators AA 6
George Cobb 37 1892 Baltimore Orioles NL  
Henry Porter 37 1888 Kansas City Blues AA  
Bill Hutchison 36 1892 Chicago Colts NL 9
Stump Wiedman 36 1886 Kansas City Cowboys NL  
Jim Devlin 35 1876 Louisville Grays NL 11
Red Donahue 35 1897 St. Louis Browns NL  
Pud Galvin 35 1880 Buffalo Bisons NL  
Hardie Henderson 35 1885 Baltimore Orioles AA  
Fleury Sullivan 35 1884 Pittsburgh Alleghenys AA  
Adonis Terry 35 1884 Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers AA  
Mark Baldwin 34 1889 Columbus Colts AA 17
Bob Barr 34 1884 Indianapolis Blues AA  
Washington Nationals AA
Matt Kilroy 34 1886 Baltimore Orioles AA  
Bobby Mathews 34 1876 New York Mutuals NL  
Al Mays 34 1887 New York Metropolitans AA  
Amos Rusie 34 1890 New York Giants NL  
Jersey Bakely 33 1888 Cleveland Blues AA 23
Hardie Henderson 33 1883 Baltimore Orioles AA  
Philadelphia Phillies NL
Harry McCormick 33 1879 Syracuse Stars NL  
Frank Mountain 33 1883 Columbus Colts AA  
Lee Richmond 33 1882 Worcester Ruby Legs NL  
Dupee Shaw 33 1884 Boston Unions UA  
Detroit Wolverines NL
Jim Whitney 33 1881 Boston Red Caps NL  
John Harkins 32 1884 Cleveland Blues NL 30
Lee Richmond 32 1880 Worcester Ruby Legs NL  
Jim Whitney 32 1885 Boston Beaneaters NL  
Jim Whitney 32 1886 Kansas City Cowboys NL  
Billy Crowell 31 1887 Cleveland Blues AA 34
Old Hoss Radbourn 31 1886 Boston Beaneaters NL  
Amos Rusie 31 1892 New York Giants NL  
Dupee Shaw 31 1886 Washington Senators NL  
Sam Weaver 31 1878 Milwaukee Cream Citys NL  
Will White 31 1879 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Jersey Bakely 30 1884 Kansas City Unions UA 40
Philadelphia Keystones UA
Wilmington Quicksteps UA
Ed Beatin 30 1890 Cleveland Spiders NL  
Ted Breitenstein 30 1895 St. Louis Browns NL  
John Ewing 30 1889 Louisville Colonels AA  
Jim Hughey 30 1899 Cleveland Spiders NL  
Jack Lynch 30 1886 New York Metropolitans AA  
Jim McCormick 30 1882 Cleveland Blues NL  
Jim McCormick 30 1881 Cleveland Blues NL  
Toad Ramsey 30 1888 Louisville Colonels AA  
Phenomenal Smith 30 1887 Baltimore Orioles AA  
Mickey Welch 30 1880 Troy Trojans NL  
Tommy Bond 29 1880 Boston Red Caps NL 51
Bert Cunningham 29 1888 Baltimore Orioles AA  
Red Ehret 29 1889 Louisville Colonels AA  
Pud Galvin 29 1883 Buffalo Bisons NL  
Bill Hart 29 1896 St. Louis Browns NL  
John Healy 29 1887 Indianapolis Hoosiers NL  
Silver King 29 1891 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Hank O'Day 29 1888 Washington Senators NL  
Jack Taylor 29 1898 St. Louis Browns NL  
Vic Willis 29 1905 Boston Beaneaters NL  
Mark Baldwin 28 1891 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 61
Hugh Daily 28 1884 Chicago Browns UA  
Washington Nationals UA
Duke Esper 28 1893 Washington Senators NL  
Bill Hill 28 1896 Louisville Colonels NL  
Doc Landis 28 1882 Baltimore Orioles AA  
Philadelphia Athletics AA
Al Mays 28 1886 New York Metropolitans AA  
Jim McCormick 28 1880 Cleveland Blues NL  
Hank O'Day 28 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings AA  
Gus Weyhing 28 1887 Philadelphia Athletics AA  
Mark Baldwin 27 1892 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 70
George Bell 27 1910 Brooklyn Superbas NL  
Charlie Buffinton 27 1885 Boston Beaneaters NL  
Bill Carrick 27 1899 New York Giants NL  
Paul Derringer 27 1933 Cincinnati Reds NL  
St. Louis Cardinals NL
Chick Fraser 27 1896 Louisville Colonels NL  
Pud Galvin 27 1879 Buffalo Bisons NL  
Bill Hart 27 1897 St. Louis Browns NL  
Pink Hawley 27 1894 St. Louis Browns NL  
Tim Keefe 27 1881 Troy Trojans NL  
Tim Keefe 27 1883 New York Metropolitans AA  
Phil Knell 27 1891 Columbus Colts AA  
Tony Mullane 27 1886 Cincinnati Red Stockings AA  
Toad Ramsey 27 1886 Louisville Colonels AA  
Toad Ramsey 27 1887 Louisville Colonels AA  
Willie Sudhoff 27 1898 St. Louis Browns NL  
Park Swartzel 27 1889 Kansas City Blues AA  
Dummy Taylor 27 1901 New York Giants NL  
Al Atkinson 26 1884 Baltimore Monumentals UA 88
Chicago Browns UA
Philadelphia Athletics AA
Ted Breitenstein 26 1896 St. Louis Browns NL  
Dory Dean 26 1876 Cincinnati Red Stockings NL  
George Derby 26 1881 Detroit Wolverines NL  
Gus Dorner 26 1906 Boston Beaneaters NL  
Cincinnati Reds NL
Pete Dowling 26 1901 Cleveland Blues AL  
Milwaukee Brewers AL
Pud Galvin 26 1885 Buffalo Bisons NL  
Pittsburgh Alleghenys AA
Bob Groom 26 1909 Washington Senators AL  
George Haddock 26 1890 Buffalo Bisons PL  
Tim Keefe 26 1882 Troy Trojans NL  
Frank Killen 26 1892 Washington Senators NL  
John Kirby 26 1886 St. Louis Maroons NL  
Terry Larkin 26 1878 Chicago White Stockings NL 100
Tony Mullane 26 1884 Toledo Blue Stockings AA  
Tony Mullane 26 1891 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Jack Neagle 26 1884 Pittsburgh Alleghenys AA  
Lee Richmond 26 1881 Worcester Ruby Legs NL  
Dupee Shaw 26 1885 Providence Grays NL  
Harry Staley 26 1889 Pittsburgh Alleghenys NL  
Happy Townsend 26 1904 Washington Senators AL  
Gus Weyhing 26 1898 Washington Senators NL  
Current Through End of 2007 Regular Season


Walter Johnson has lost more games (two-hundred seventy-nine) than any other American League pitcher in Major League history, yet his name does not appear anywhere on the single season leaders for games lost chart.

Did you know that Cy Young, who is the Major League career leader in games lost with three-hundred sixteen (316), does not appear on this chart of single season leaders for games lost either.

During his all-time record setting season (1883) for games lost; John Coleman won twelve (12) games, finished third overall in games pitched with sixty-five (65) and fourth overall in complete games with fifty-nine (59).
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