Games Lost Records

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

"It's not embarrassing (setting the new record for consecutive games lost by a pitcher). Someone has to win and someone has to lose. I'm just losing." - Mets Pitcher Anthony Young (1993)
Losses

Career Records

Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Most
In A Career
(Top 100)

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

279

NL

Pud Galvin

Buffalo

179

267

Pittsburgh

82

St. Louis

6

ML

Cy Young

Cleveland [NL]

135

316

St. Louis

35

Boston [NL]

5

Boston [AL]

112

Cleveland [AL]

29

Most
In A Career
By A Lefthander

AL

Frank Tanana

California

78

221

Boston

10

Texas

49

Detroit

82

New York

2

NL

Eppa Rixey

Philadelphia

103

251

Cincinnati

148

Most
In A Career
By A Righthander

AL

Walter Johnson

Washington

279

NL

Pud Galvin

Buffalo

179

267

Pittsburgh

82

St. Louis

6

ML

Cy Young

Cleveland [NL]

135

316

St. Louis

35

Boston [NL]

5

Boston [AL]

112

Cleveland [AL]

29

Losses

Single Season Records

Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Most
In A Season
(Top 100)

AL

Bob Groom

Washington

26 1909

Happy Townsend

Washington

1904
NL

John Coleman

Philadelphia

48 1883

Most
In A Season
By A Relief Pitcher

AL

John Hiller

Detroit

14 1974

Darold Knowles

Washington

1970

Mike Marshall

Minnesota

1979
NL

Gene Garber

Atlanta

16 1979

Most
In A Season
By A Rookie

AL

Bob Groom

Washington

26 1909
NL

Jim Devlin

Louisville

35 1876

Most
In A Season
Consecutively

AL

Jack Nabors

Philadelphia

19 04-28-1916
09-28-1916
NL

Roger Craig

New York

18 05-04-1963
08-04-1963

Cliff Curtis

Boston

06-13-1910
09-20-1910

Most Seasons
Leading the League
(Yearly Leaders)

AL

Pedro Ramos

Washington

4 1958

Washington

1959

Washington

1960

Minnesota

1961

Bobo Newsom

St. Louis

1934

Washington

1935

Detroit

1941

Philadelphia

1945
NL

Phil Niekro

Atlanta

4 1977

Atlanta

1978

Atlanta

1979

Atlanta

1980
Record Lg Name(s) Team(s) Data

Games Lost Records



Games lost 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 Lost Ever
        Anthony Young : Twenty-seven from May 6, 1992 to July 24, 1993.
      • Most Consecutive Games Lost To One Team
        Don Sutton : Thirteen from April 23, 1966 to July 24, 1969 vs Chicago.
      • Most Consecutive Games Lost From Start of Career
        Terry Felton : Sixteen from April 18, 1980 to September 12, 1982.

The American League pitchers with the fewest losses who still led their league in games lost are: Ted Gray, Alex Kellner, Bob Lemon, Billy Pierce, Duane Pillette, and Dizzy Trout. All these hurlers had fourteen losses and all led during the 1951 season.

The National League pitchers with the fewest losses who still led their league in games lost are: Don Carman, Orel Hershiser and Ken Hill. All these hurlers had fifteen losses and all led during the 1989 season. Three years later (in 1992) Tom Candiotti & Orel Hershiser (again) tied the record of fifteen originally set in 1989.