Wins Records

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book full of baseball milestones for games won by a pitcher — including career win records, single season win records and game related records.

"That young fellow (Walter Johnson) is another Cy Young. I never saw a kid with more than he displayed. Of course, he is still green, but when he has a little experience he should be one of the greatest pitchers that ever broke into the game. He has terrific speed and a motion which does not put much strain on his arm and this will all improve as he goes along." - Addie Joss
Wins

Career Records

Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Most
(In A Career)
(Top 100)

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

417

417
NL

Grover Alexander

Philadelphia

190

373

Chicago

128

St. Louis

55

Christy Mathewson

New York

372

Cincinnati

1

ML

Cy Young

Cleveland [NL]

241

511

St. Louis

45

Boston [NL]

4

Boston [AL]

192

Cleveland [AL]

29

Most
(In A Career)
(By A Lefthander)

AL

Eddie Plank

Philadelphia

284

305

St. Louis

21

NL

Warren Spahn

Boston

122

363

Milwaukee

234

New York

4

San Francisco

3

Most
(In A Career)
(By A Righthander)

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

417

417
NL

Grover Alexander

New York

190

373

Chicago

128

St. Louis

55

Christy Mathewson

New York

372

Cincinnati

1

ML

Cy Young

Cleveland [NL]

241

511

St. Louis

45

Boston [NL]

4

Boston [AL]

192

Cleveland [AL]

29

Most by a Reliever
(In A Career)

AL

Sparky Lyle

Boston

22

87

New York

57

Texas

8

Chicago

0

NL

Roy Face

Pittsburgh

92

96

Montreal

4

ML

Hoyt Wilhelm

New York [NL]

42

124

St. Louis [NL]

1

Cleveland

1

Baltimore

26

Chicago [AL]

41

California

5

Atlanta

8

Chicago [NL]

0

Los Angeles

0

Wins

Game Specific Records

Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Most
(On Opening Day)

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

9 1910

Washington

1913

Washington

1914

Washington

1915

Washington

1916

Washington

1917

Washington

1919

Washington

1924

Washington

1926
NL

Grover Alexander

Philadelphia

8 1914

Philadelphia

1915

Philadelphia

1916

Philadelphia

1917

Chicago

1921

Chicago

1922

Chicago

1925

St. Louis

1929
Wins

Single Season Records

Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Most
(In Any Month)

AL Rube Waddell Philadelphia 10 07-1902

Jack Coombs

Philadelphia

07-1910
NL

John Clarkson

Chicago

15 06-1885

Most
(In A Season)
(Top 100)

AL

Jack Chesbro

New York

41 1904
NL

Old Hoss Radbourn

Providence

59 1884

Most
(In A Season)
(By A Lefthander)

AA

Matt Kilroy

Baltimore

46 1887
AL

Lefty Grove

Philadelphia

31

1931
NL

Lady Baldwin

Detroit

42 1886

Most
(In A Season)
(By A Righthander)

AL

Jack Chesbro

New York

41 1904
NL

Old Hoss Radbourn

Providence

59 1884

Most
(In A Season)
(By A Rookie)

AL

Russ Ford

New York

26 1910
NL

Al Spalding

Chicago

47 1876

Most by a Reliever
(In A Season)

AL

Bill Campbell

Minnesota

17

1976

John Hiller

Detroit

1974

NL

Roy Face

Pittsburgh

18

1959

Most Seasons
(In 20 Wins Club)

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

12 1910

Washington

1911

Washington

1912

Washington

1913

Washington

1914

Washington

1915

Washington

1916

Washington

1917

Washington

1918

Washington

1919

Washington

1924

Washington

1925
NL

Christy Mathewson

New York

13 1901

New York

1903

New York

1904

New York

1905

New York

1906

New York

1907

New York

1908

New York

1909

New York

1910

New York

1911

New York

1912

New York

1913

New York

1914

Warren Spahn

Boston

13 1947

Boston

1949

Boston

1950

Boston

1951

Milwaukee

1953

Milwaukee

1954

Milwaukee

1956

Milwaukee

1957

Milwaukee

1958

Milwaukee

1959

Milwaukee

1960

Milwaukee

1961
Milwaukee 1963
ML Cy Young Cleveland [NL] 15 1891
Cleveland [NL] 1892
Cleveland [NL] 1893
Cleveland [NL] 1894
Cleveland [NL] 1895
Cleveland [NL] 1896
Cleveland [NL] 1897
Cleveland [NL] 1898
St. Louis [NL] 1899
Boston [AL] 1901
Boston [AL] 1902
Boston [AL] 1903
Boston [AL] 1904
Boston [AL] 1907

Boston [AL]

1908

Most Seasons
(In 30 Wins Club)

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

2 1912

Washington

1913

Cy Young

Boston

1901

Boston

1902
NL

Kid Nichols

Boston

7 1891

Boston

1892

Boston

1893

Boston

1894

Boston

1896

Boston

1897

Boston

1898
Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Wins Records



Games won by pitchers are often cited and easy to find. Baseball Almanac likes to take things one step further and is pleased to present a handful of consecutive games won records:

      • Most Consecutive Games Won Ever:
        Carl Hubbell : Twenty-four from July 17, 1936 - May 27, 1937.
      • Most Consecutive Games Won in a Season:
        Tim Keefe : Nineteen from June 23, 1888 - August 10, 1888.
        Rube Marquard : Nineteen from April 11, 1912 - July 3, 1912.
      • Most Consecutive Games Won in a Season by a Relief Pitcher:
        Roy Face : Seventeen from April 22 - August 30, 1959.
      • Most Consecutive Games Won in a Season by a Rookie:
        Pat Luby : Seventeen from August 6, 1890 - October 3, 1890.
      • Most Consecutive Games Won in a Season from Career Start (by a Starter):
        Hooks Wiltse : Twelve from May 29, 1904 - September 15, 1904.
      • Most Consecutive Games Won in a Season from Career Start (by a Reliever):
        Butch Metzger : Twelve from September 21, 1974 through August 8, 1976.

The American League & National League record for most twenty-win seasons is posted above; however, the Major League record is held by Cy Young who "joined" the 20 Wins Club fifteen times during his Hall of Famer career.

Did you know that Warren Spahn has led the National League in wins more often than any other pitcher? Examine the year-by-year leaders in games won and determine for yourself what two American League pitchers have led their league more often than any other junior circuit pitcher.

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