Winning Percentage Year-by-Year Leaders by Baseball Almanac

Year by Year Leaders for Winning Percentage

Ever wonder who had the highest winning percentage the year you were born? How about pitchers from you favorite team — have they ever led the league in winning percentage? Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a year-by-year leaderboard (minimum of fifteen wins needed) in Major League games started for every season since 1901. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.

"Nobody ever becomes a ballplayer by walking after a ball." - Winning Percentage Leader (1910-1911 & 1914) Chief Bender

Winning Percentage Year-By-Year Leaders '1901 to 1901'
Year	American League	WP	Team(s)	Year	National League	WP	Team(s)
1901	Clark Griffith	.774	Chicago	1901	Jack Chesbro	.677	Pittsburgh
1902	Bill Bernhard	.783	Philadelphia	1902	Jack Chesbro	.824	Pittsburgh
1902	Bill Bernhard	.783	Cleveland	1902	Jack Chesbro	.824	Pittsburgh
1903	Cy Young	.757	Boston	1903	Sam Leever	.781	Pittsburgh
1904	Jack Chesbro	.774	New York	1904	Joe McGinnity	.814	New York
1905	Rube Waddell	.730	Philadelphia	1905	Sam Leever	.800	Pittsburgh
1906	Eddie Plank	.760	Philadelphia	1906	Ed Reulbach	.826	Chicago
1907	Bill Donovan	.862	Detroit	1907	Ed Reulbach	.810	Chicago
1908	Ed Walsh	.727	Chicago	1908	Ed Reulbach	.774	Chicago
1909	George Mullin	.784	Detroit	1909	Howie Camnitz	.806	Pittsburgh
1909	George Mullin	.784	Detroit	1909	Christy Mathewson	.806	New York
1910	Chief Bender	.821	Philadelphia	1910	King Cole	.833	Chicago
1911	Chief Bender	.773	Philadelphia	1911	Rube Marquard	.774	New York
1912	Joe Wood	.872	Boston	1912	Claude Hendrix	.727	Pittsburgh
1913	Walter Johnson	.837	Washington	1913	Bert Humphries	.800	Chicago
1914	Chief Bender	.850	Philadelphia	1914	Bill James	.788	Boston
1915	Joe Wood	.750	Boston	1915	Grover Alexander	.756	Philadelphia
1916	Eddie Cicotte	.682	Chicago	1916	Tom Hughes	.842	Boston
1917	Reb Russell	.750	Chicago	1917	Ferdie Schupp	.750	New York
1918	Sam Jones	.762	Boston	1918	Claude Hendrix	.741	Chicago
1919	Eddie Cicotte	.806	Chicago	1919	Dutch Ruether	.760	Cincinnati
1920	Jim Bagby	.721	Cleveland	1920	Burleigh Grimes	.676	Brooklyn
1921	Carl Mays	.750	New York	1921	Bill Doak	.714	St. Louis
1922	Joe Bush	.788	New York	1922	Pete Donohue	.667	Cincinnati
1923	Herb Pennock	.760	New York	1923	Dolf Luque	.771	Cincinnati
1924	Walter Johnson	.767	Washington	1924	Emil Yde	.842	Pittsburgh
1925	Stan Coveleski	.800	Washington	1925	Bill Sherdel	.714	St. Louis
1926	George Uhle	.711	Cleveland	1926	Ray Kremer	.769	Pittsburgh
1927	Waite Hoyt	.759	New York	1927	Larry Benton	.708	Boston
1927	Waite Hoyt	.759	New York	1927	Larry Benton	.708	New York
1928	Alvin Crowder	.808	St. Louis	1928	Larry Benton	.735	New York
1929	Lefty Grove	.769	Philadelphia	1929	Charlie Root	.760	Chicago
1930	Lefty Grove	.848	Philadelphia	1930	Freddie Fitzsimmons	.731	New York
1931	Lefty Grove	.886	Philadelphia	1931	Paul Derringer	.692	St. Louis
1932	Johnny Allen	.810	New York	1932	Lon Warneke	.786	Chicago
1933	Lefty Grove	.750	Philadelphia	1933	Ben Cantwell	.667	Boston
1934	Lefty Gomez	.839	New York	1934	Dizzy Dean	.811	St. Louis
1935	Elden Auker	.720	Detroit	1935	Bill Lee	.769	Chicago
1936	Monte Pearson	.731	New York	1936	Carl Hubbell	.813	New York
1937	Johnny Allen	.938	Cleveland	1937	Carl Hubbell	.733	New York
1938	Red Ruffing	.750	New York	1938	Bill Lee	.710	Chicago
1939	Lefty Grove	.789	Boston	1939	Paul Derringer	.781	Cincinnati
1940	Schoolboy Rowe	.842	Detroit	1940	Freddie Fitzsimmons	.889	Brooklyn
1941	Lefty Gomez	.750	New York	1941	Elmer Riddle	.826	Cincinnati
1942	Tiny Bonham	.808	New York	1942	Larry French	.789	Brooklyn
1943	Spud Chandler	.833	New York	1943	Mort Cooper	.724	St. Louis
1944	Tex Hughson	.783	Boston	1944	Ted Wilks	.810	St. Louis
1945	Hal Newhouser	.735	Detroit	1945	Harry Brecheen	.789	St. Louis
1946	Dave Ferriss	.806	Boston	1946	Murry Dickson	.714	St. Louis
1947	Allie Reynolds	.704	New York	1947	Larry Jansen	.808	New York
1948	Jack Kramer	.783	Boston	1948	Harry Brecheen	.741	St. Louis
1949	Ellis Kinder	.793	Boston	1949	Preacher Roe	.714	Brooklyn
1950	Vic Raschi	.724	New York	1950	Sal Maglie	.818	New York
1951	Bob Feller	.733	Cleveland	1951	Preacher Roe	.880	Brooklyn
1952	Bobby Shantz	.774	Philadelphia	1952	Hoyt Wilhelm	.833	New York
1953	Ed Lopat	.800	New York	1953	Carl Erskine	.769	Brooklyn
1954	Sandy Consuegra	.842	Chicago	1954	Johnny Antonelli	.750	New York
1955	Tommy Byrne	.762	New York	1955	Don Newcombe	.800	Brooklyn
1956	Whitey Ford	.760	New York	1956	Don Newcombe	.794	Brooklyn
1957	Dick Donovan	.727	Chicago	1957	Bob Buhl	.720	Milwaukee
1957	Tom Sturdivant	.727	New York	1957	Bob Buhl	.720	Milwaukee
1958	Bob Turley	.750	New York	1958	Lew Burdette	.667	Milwaukee
1958	Bob Turley	.750	New York	1958	Warren Spahn	.667	Milwaukee
1959	Bob Shaw	.750	Chicago	1959	Roy Face	.947	Pittsburgh
1960	Jim Perry	.643	Cleveland	1960	Ernie Broglio	.700	St. Louis
1961	Whitey Ford	.862	New York	1961	Johnny Podres	.783	Los Angeles
1962	Ray Herbert	.690	Chicago	1962	Bob Purkey	.821	Cincinnati
1963	Whitey Ford	.774	New York	1963	Ron Perranoski	.842	Los Angeles
1964	Wally Bunker	.792	Baltimore	1964	Sandy Koufax	.792	Los Angeles
1965	Mudcat Grant	.750	Minnesota	1965	Sandy Koufax	.765	Los Angeles
1966	Sonny Siebert	.667	Cleveland	1966	Juan Marichal	.806	San Francisco
1967	Joe Horlen	.731	Chicago	1967	Dick Hughes	.727	St. Louis
1968	Denny McLain	.838	Detroit	1968	Steve Blass	.750	Pittsburgh
1969	Jim Palmer	.800	Baltimore	1969	Tom Seaver	.781	New York
1970	Mike Cuellar	.750	Baltimore	1970	Bob Gibson	.767	St. Louis
1971	Dave McNally	.808	Baltimore	1971	Don Gullett	.727	Cincinnati
1972	Catfish Hunter	.750	Oakland	1972	Gary Nolan	.750	Cincinnati
1973	Catfish Hunter	.808	Oakland	1973	Tommy John	.696	Los Angeles
1974	Mike Cuellar	.688	Baltimore	1974	Andy Messersmith	.769	Los Angeles
1975	Mike Torrez	.690	Baltimore	1975	Don Gullett	.789	Cincinnati
1976	Bill Campbell	.773	Minnesota	1976	Steve Carlton	.741	Philadelphia
1977	Paul Splittorff	.727	Kansas City	1977	John Candelaria	.800	Pittsburgh
1978	Ron Guidry	.893	New York	1978	Gaylord Perry	.778	San Diego
1979	Mike Caldwell	.727	Milwaukee	1979	Tom Seaver	.727	Cincinnati
1980	Steve Stone	.781	Baltimore	1980	Jim Bibby	.760	Pittsburgh
1981	Pete Vuckovich	.778	Milwaukee	1981	Tom Seaver	.875	Cincinnati
1982	Jim Palmer	.750	Baltimore	1982	Phil Niekro	.810	Atlanta
1982	Pete Vuckovich	.750	Milwaukee	1982	Phil Niekro	.810	Atlanta
1983	Richard Dotson	.759	Chicago	1983	John Denny	.760	Philadelphia
1984	Doyle Alexander	.739	Toronto	1984	Rick Sutcliffe	.941	Chicago
1985	Ron Guidry	.786	New York	1985	Orel Hershiser	.864	Los Angeles
1986	Roger Clemens	.857	Boston	1986	Bob Ojeda	.783	New York
1987	Roger Clemens	.690	Boston	1987	Dwight Gooden	.682	New York
1988	Frank Viola	.774	Minnesota	1988	David Cone	.870	New York
1989	Bret Saberhagen	.793	Kansas City	1989	Mike Bielecki	.720	Chicago
1990	Bob Welch	.818	Oakland	1990	Doug Drabek	.786	Pittsburgh
1991	Scott Erickson	.714	Minnesota	1991	Jose Rijo	.714	Cincinnati
1991	Scott Erickson	.714	Minnesota	1991	John Smiley	.714	Pittsburgh
1992	Mike Mussina	.783	Baltimore	1992	Bob Tewksbury	.762	St. Louis
1993	Jimmy Key	.750	New York	1993	Mark Portugal	.818	Houston
1994	Jason Bere	.857	Chicago	1994	Bret Saberhagen	.778	New York
1995	Randy Johnson	.900	Seattle	1995	Greg Maddux	.905	Atlanta
1996	Charles Nagy	.773	Cleveland	1996	John Smoltz	.750	Atlanta
1997	Randy Johnson	.833	Seattle	1997	Greg Maddux	.826	Atlanta
1998	David Wells	.818	New York	1998	John Smoltz	.850	Atlanta
1999	Pedro Martinez	.852	Boston	1999	Mike Hampton	.846	Houston
2000	Tim Hudson	.769	Oakland	2000	Randy Johnson	.731	Arizona
2001	Roger Clemens	.870	New York	2001	Curt Schilling	.786	Arizona
2002	Pedro Martinez	.833	Boston	2002	Randy Johnson	.828	Arizona
2003	Roy Halladay	.759	Toronto	2003	Jason Schmidt	.773	San Francisco
2004	Curt Schilling	.778	Boston	2004	Roger Clemens	.818	Houston
2005	Cliff Lee	.783	Cleveland	2005	Jorge Sosa	.812	Atlanta
Year	American League	WP	Team(s)	Year	National League	WP	Team(s)
Winning Percentage Year-By-Year Leaders

Cross reference Cy Young Award winners too see how important winning percentage is to baseball writers when deciding who the recipient will be at the end of the regular season.

Did you know that the Major League record for single season winning percentage was set during the 1959 season by Roy Face of the Pittsburgh Pirates?

Use this chart to find the first leader from your favorite team. Use it to see who holds the record for consecutive seasons leading the league. The see if you can determinoe who the all time winning percentage leader is.

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