Charles Radbourn, the single-season leader in wins.

In Major League Baseball, the winning pitcher is defined as the pitcher who last pitched prior to the half-inning when the winning team took the lead for the last time.[1] There are two exceptions to this rule. The first is that a starting pitcher must complete five innings to earn a win (four innings for a game that lasts five innings on defense). If he fails to do so, he is ineligible to be the winning pitcher even if he last pitched prior to the half-inning when his team took the lead for the last time, and the official scorer awards the win to the relief pitcher who, in the official scorer's judgment, was the most effective. The second exception applies if the relief pitcher who last pitched prior to the half-inning when the winning team took the lead for the last time was "ineffective in a brief appearance" in the official scorer's judgment, in which case the win is awarded to the succeeding relief pitcher who, in the official scorer's judgment, was the most effective.[2]

Charles Radbourn[3] holds the record for the most wins in a single-season, winning 59 games in 1884.[4] John Clarkson[5] (53 in 1885) and Guy Hecker[6] (52 in 1884) are the only other pitchers to win more than 50 games in a single-season.[7]

Key

Rank Rank amongst leaders in single-season wins. A blank field indicates a tie.
Player Name of player.
W Total single-season wins.
Year Season wins were recorded.
* Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.

List

Rank Player W Year
1 Old Hoss Radbourn * 59 1884
2 John Clarkson * 53 1885
3 Guy Hecker 52 1884
4 John Clarkson * 49 1889
5 Charlie Buffinton 48 1884
Old Hoss Radbourn * 48 1883
7 Albert Spalding * 47 1876
John Montgomery Ward * 47 1879
9 Pud Galvin * 46 1883
Pud Galvin * 46 1884
Matt Kilroy 46 1887
12 George Bradley 45 1876
Silver King 45 1888
Jim McCormick 45 1880
15 Bill Hutchison 44 1891
Mickey Welch * 44 1885
17 Tommy Bond 43 1879
Larry Corcoran 43 1880
Billy Taylor 43 1884
Will White 43 1879
Will White 43 1883
22 Lady Baldwin 42 1886
Tim Keefe * 42 1886
24 Jack Chesbro * 41 1904
Dave Foutz 41 1886
Bill Hutchison 41 1890
Tim Keefe * 41 1883
Ed Morris 41 1886
Charlie Sweeney 41 1884
30 Tommy Bond 40 1877
Tommy Bond 40 1878
Bob Caruthers 40 1885
Bob Caruthers 40 1889
Jim McCormick 40 1884
Bill Sweeney 40 1884
Ed Walsh * 40 1908
Rank Player W Year
Will White 40 1882
38 Ed Morris 39 1885
John Montgomery Ward * 39 1880
Mickey Welch * 39 1884
41 John Clarkson * 38 1887
Kid Gleason 38 1890
Toad Ramsey 38 1886
44 Pud Galvin * 37 1879
Tim Keefe * 37 1884
Jack Lynch 37 1884
Christy Mathewson * 37 1908
Toad Ramsey 37 1887
Jim Whitney 37 1883
50 John Clarkson 36 1886
Bill Hutchison 36 1892
Walter Johnson * 36 1913
Frank Killen 36 1893
Jim McCormick 36 1882
Sadie McMahon 36 1890
Tony Mullane 36 1884
Amos Rusie * 36 1894
Cy Young * 36 1892
59 Larry Corcoran 35 1884
Jim Devlin 35 1877
Tim Keefe 35 1887
Tim Keefe 35 1888
Silver King 35 1889
Joe McGinnity * 35 1904
Sadie McMahon 35 1891
Tony Mullane 35 1883
Kid Nichols * 35 1892
Ed Seward 35 1888
Jack Stivetts 35 1892
Cy Young * 35 1895
71 Larry Corcoran 34 1883
George Haddock 34 1891
Rank Player W Year
Ed Morris 34 1884
Kid Nichols * 34 1893
Mike Smith 34 1887
Scott Stratton 34 1890
Mickey Welch * 34 1880
Will White 34 1884
Smoky Joe Wood 34 1912
Cy Young * 34 1893
81 Grover Cleveland Alexander * 33 1916
Mark Baldwin 33 1890
John Clarkson * 33 1888
John Clarkson * 33 1891
Dave Foutz 33 1885
Walter Johnson * 33 1912
Christy Mathewson * 33 1904
Jouett Meekin 33 1894
Tony Mullane 33 1886
Henry Porter 33 1885
Old Hoss Radbourn * 33 1882
Amos Rusie * 33 1891
Amos Rusie * 33 1893
Jack Stivetts 33 1891
Mickey Welch * 33 1886
Cy Young * 33 1901
97 Ice Box Chamberlain 32 1889
Jesse Duryea 32 1889
Bob Emslie 32 1884
Tim Keefe * 32 1885
Silver King 32 1887
Kid Nichols * 32 1894
Lee Richmond 32 1880
Amos Rusie * 32 1892
Gus Weyhing 32 1892
Cy Young * 32 1902

See also

References

  1. ^ "Wins". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  2. ^ "Official Rules". Major League Baseball. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  3. ^ "Charles Radbourn Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  4. ^ Baier, Wesley (November 17, 2018). "Charles "Old Hoss" Radbourn's Insane 1884 Season". SB Nation. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  5. ^ "John Clarkson Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  6. ^ "Guy Hecker Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  7. ^ "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Wins". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 3, 2019.

External links

Major League Baseball records
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