Games Started Records

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book full of baseball milestones for games started — including career marks, most by a rookie during a season and other complete game records.

"His (Walter Johnson) fastball looked about the size of a watermelon seed and it hissed at you as it passed." - Ty Cobb
Games Started

Career Records

Record Lg Name(s)

Team(s)

Data

Most
(In A Career)
(Top 100)

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

666
NL

Greg Maddux

Chicago

298

707

Atlanta

363

Los Angeles

12

San Diego

34

ML

Cy Young

Cleveland [NL]

430

815

St. Louis [NL]

77

Boston [AL]

308

Games Started

Single Season Records

Record Lg Name(s)

Team(s)

Data

Most
(In A Season)
(Top 100)

AL

Jack Chesbro

New York

51 1904
NL

Will White

Cincinnati

76 1879

Most
(In A Season)
(With No Complete Games)

AL

Wilson Alvarez

Chicago

35 1996

Rick Helling

Texas

2000

Sterling Hitchcock

Seattle

1996
NL

Steve Bedrosian

Atlanta

37 1985

Most Seasons
(Leading The League)
(Yearly Leaders)

AL

Bob Feller

Cleveland

5 1940

Cleveland

1941

Cleveland

1946

Cleveland

1947

Cleveland

1948

Early Wynn

Washington

1943

Cleveland

1951

Cleveland

1954

Cleveland

1957

Chicago

1959

NL

Greg Maddux

Chicago

7

1990

Chicago

1991

Chicago

1992

Atlanta

1993

Atlanta

2000

Atlanta

2003

Chicago

2005

Games Started

Game Records

Record Lg Name(s)

Team(s)

Data

Most
(On Opening Day)

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

14 1910

Washington

1912

Washington

1913

Washington

1914

Washington

1915

Washington

1916

Washington

1917

Washington

1918

Washington

1919

Washington

1920

Washington

1921

Washington

1923

Washington

1924

Washington

1926

Jack Morris

Detroit

1980

Detroit

1981

Detroit

1982

Detroit

1983

Detroit

1984

Detroit

1985

Detroit

1986

Detroit

1987

Detroit

1988

Detroit

1989

Detroit

1990

Minnesota

1991

Toronto

1992

Toronto

1993
NL

Steve Carlton

Philadelphia

14 1972

Philadelphia

1973

Philadelphia

1974

Philadelphia

1975

Philadelphia

1977

Philadelphia

1978

Philadelphia

1979

Philadelphia

1980

Philadelphia

1981

Philadelphia

1982

Philadelphia

1983

Philadelphia

1984

Philadelphia

1985

Philadelphia

1986

Tom Seaver

New York

1968

New York

1969

New York

1970

New York

1971

New York

1972

New York

1973

New York

1974

New York

1975

New York

1976

New York

1977

Cincinnati

1978

Cincinnati

1979

Cincinnati

1981

New York

1983
ML

Tom Seaver

New York [NL]

16

1968

New York [NL]

1969

New York [NL]

1970

New York [NL]

1971

New York [NL]

1972

New York [NL]

1973

New York [NL]

1974

New York [NL]

1975

New York [NL]

1976

New York [NL]

1977

Cincinnati

1978

Cincinnati

1979

Cincinnati

1981

New York [NL]

1983

Chicago [AL]

1985

Chicago [AL]

1986
Record Lg Name(s)

Team(s)

Data

Games Started Records



The yearly leader in each league since 1901, top one-hundred all-time, and top one-hundred single season for games started are all here on Baseball Almanac in our Pitching Charts section.

Did you know that Steve Carlton held the National League record of five-hundred thirty-four CONSECUTIVE starting assignments until Greg Maddux broke it in 2003? Through the end of the 2005 season Maddux has six-hundred eleven senior circuit CONSECUTIVE starts.

Roger Clemens holds the Major League record of six-hundred fifty-nine CONSECUTIVE starting assignments (current through end of the 2005 regular season).