In baseball statistics, a pitcher is credited with a game started (denoted by GS) if he is the first pitcher to pitch for his team in a game.
Cy Young[1][2][3] holds the Major League Baseball games started record with 815. Young is the only pitcher in MLB history to start more than 800 career games. Nolan Ryan[4] (773), Don Sutton[5] (756), Greg Maddux[6] (740), Phil Niekro[7] (716), Steve Carlton[8] (709), Roger Clemens[9] (707), and Tommy John[10] (700) are the only other pitchers to have started 700 or more games their career.
Key
Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career wins. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2025 GS) | Number of games started during the 2025 Major League Baseball season |
GS | Total career games started |
* | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Bold | Denotes active player.[note 1] |
List
- Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 season.[11]
Rank | Player (2025 GS) | GS |
---|---|---|
51 | Bob Friend | 497 |
Burleigh Grimes* | 497 | |
53 | Mickey Lolich | 496 |
54 | Mark Buehrle | 493 |
55 | David Wells | 489 |
56 | Claude Osteen | 488 |
57 | Sad Sam Jones | 487 |
58 | Jim McCormick | 485 |
59 | Bob Feller* | 484 |
Ted Lyons* | 484 | |
Luis Tiant | 484 | |
62 | Red Faber* | 483 |
Bobo Newsom | 483 | |
64 | Bob Gibson* | 482 |
65 | John Smoltz* | 481 |
66 | Tim Hudson | 479 |
67 | Kevin Brown | 476 |
Catfish Hunter* | 476 | |
69 | Liván Hernández | 474 |
Kenny Rogers | 474 | |
71 | Vida Blue | 473 |
Earl Whitehill | 473 | |
73 | Vic Willis* | 471 |
74 | Chuck Finley | 467 |
75 | Orel Hershiser | 466 |
76 | Don Drysdale* | 465 |
Milt Pappas | 465 | |
78 | Doyle Alexander | 464 |
79 | Tim Wakefield | 463 |
80 | Bob Welch | 462 |
81 | Curt Simmons | 462 |
82 | Mike Torrez | 458 |
83 | Lefty Grove* | 457 |
Juan Marichal* | 457 | |
Max Scherzer (0) | 457 | |
86 | Rick Wise | 455 |
87 | Jon Lester | 451 |
88 | Jim Perry | 447 |
89 | John Lackey | 446 |
90 | Paul Derringer | 445 |
91 | Kevin Millwood | 443 |
Jack Quinn | 443 | |
Javier Vázquez | 443 | |
94 | Charlie Hough | 440 |
Mike Moore | 440 | |
96 | Whitey Ford* | 438 |
97 | Curt Schilling | 436 |
98 | Mel Harder | 433 |
Carl Hubbell* | 433 | |
Billy Pierce | 433 |
Notes
- ^ A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.
References
- ^ "Cy Young Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ Nowlin - Southwick, Bill - David. "Cy Young Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Cy Young Hall of Fame Profile". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ "Nolan Ryan Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Don Sutton Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Greg Maddux Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Phil Niekro Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Steve Carlton Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Roger Clemens Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Tommy John Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ MLB.com – Career Leaders for Games Started
External links
- "Career Leaders & Records for Games Started". Baseball-Reference.com.