The Reverse Unicorn
Since 1980, only two pitchers have “achieved” twenty or more losses in a single season. In that same span, there have been 131 pitcher seasons of twenty or more wins.
Regular readers of Baseball Roundtable know how my mind tends to wander during the off-season – leading to the exploration of a wide range of baseball topics (particularly rarities and oddities). Admittedly as “One thing seems to lead to another,” these posts can at times seem like watching a series of unrelated slides (I hope most of you remember slides). Each post, however, can be traced to an overarching theme. Most recently, there were posts on 20-game winners (click here for that one), 100-RBI seasons (click here) and zero-home run seasons (click here).
This foundation of this post will a what I consider a reverse unicorn, the increasingly rare pitcher-seasons of 20 or more losses.
How rare have 20-loss seasons become? As noted earlier, they have been only two 20-loss seasons since 1980. The last 20-loss campaign belongs to the Tigers’ Mike Maroth, who went 9-21, 5.73 in 2003. (More on that later). As the chart below shows 295 of the 499 20-loss seasons (59.1%) occurred before 1900 … and the appearance of these reverse unicorns” has dwindled steadily since.
The 1884 season saw the most 20-loss campaigns, as 25 pitchers reached or exceeded twenty defeats. (The 1884 season featured 33 majo- league teams … National League, Union Association and American Association.) Notably, 12 of those pitchers also won 20 or more games and eight finished above .500.
There are some pretty obvious reasons for this, centered around pitcher usage. Over the years, such factors expanding rotations (from two-to-five or more pitcher rotations), larger pitching staffs and relief specialists (middle men, set-up men, closers), pitch counts (and fewer complete games) all have helped make it harder for a pitcher to reach 20 losses (or twenty wins, for that matter). Consider, in 1890, 37 pitchers started 35 or more games (eight of those had 50-plus starts). In 2023, only one pitcher – Mike Mikolas of the Cardinals – accrued 35 starts. We’ll get to why I picked 35 starts as a focus point in a bit.
That chart below illustrates some the change MLB has seen – as complete games have plummeted and the number of pitchers used by teams each season had risen. In sheer raw numbers, 2003 saw 35 complete games in 4,869 starts; 1960 saw 665 complete games in 2,472 starts; and 1890 saw 2,879 complete games in 3,218 starts.
Now, as to my observation of the “sweet spot” for 20 losses (or twenty wins) – historically two of every three seasons of twenty or more losses (or twenty or more wins) belong to a pitcher with 35 or more starts.
Now, this post is about 20-game losers, so I thought I better start to steer this ship back in that direction. I went back to 1974, the last season MLB saw at least five 20-game losers: Steve Rogers (Expos, 15-22, 4.47), Bill Bonham (Cubs, 11-22, 3.86), Randy Jones (Padres, 8-22, 4.45), Mickey Lolich (Tigers, 16-21, 4.15) and Clyde Wright (Brewers, 9-20, 4.42). A few comparisons:
- These five (the five losingest pitchers in MLB in 1974) had a cumulative 181 starts, with 67 complete games and 28 complete-game losses. MLB’s five winningest pitchers in 20023 (Spencer Strider, Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, Zach Elfin and Justin Steele) had 160 starts, two complete games and zero complete-game losses.
- 1974’s five 20-game losers had 67 complete games and 28 complete-game losses, while all of MLB saw just 35 complete games and seven complete-game losses in 2023.
A Unicorn
The Kansas City Royals’ Jordan Lyles tied for the major-league lead in complete games in 2023 (with three). All three of his complete games were losses – and I can find no other instance of the MLB leader in complete games recording not a single complete-game victory. Lyles’ final line on the season, 6-17, 6.28.
Now, let’s look at some rarities and oddities among 20-game losers.
Pud Galvin – King of the 20-Game Losers
Photo: Goodwin & Company, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
If the corps of 20-game loser had a king, his name would be James Francis “Pud” Galvin – who holds the MLB record for 20-loss seasons at ten, and who rang them up consecutively 1879-1888. Galvin, however, was clearly no loser – pitching his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame with a 365-310, 2.85 record over 15 MLB seasons (1875, 1879-1892 … St. Louis Brown Stockings, Buffalo Bisons, Allegheny City, Pittsburgh Burgers, St. Louis Browns.)
_______________________________
Pud Galvin recorded MLB seasons of twenty or more losses in the National League, American Association and Players League.
_______________________________
In his ten-year streak of season with 20 or more losses, Galvin seven times won more games than he lost. Galvin was known for pinpoint control of his fastball, fine fielding and an exceptional pickoff move that spurred many protests from opposing players, coaches and managers.
Galvin’s best seasons were 1883 and 1884, with the National League Buffalo Bisons. In 1883, Galvin went 46-29, with a 2.72 earned run average and led the league in games (76), starts (75), complete games (72), shutouts (five) and innings pitched 656 1/3. He followed that up with an 1884 campaign that again included 46 wins (22 losses), 71 complete games in 72 starts, 636 1/3 innings pitched and a league-leading 12 shutouts. It truly was a different game back then. Consider Buffalo had a 116-92-5 record over those two seasons and Galvin started 148 (80%) and completed 147 of those 183 games.
Those Were The Days, My Friends
During his streak of ten consecutive 20+loss season, Galvin went 301-253, 2.71 and threw 535 complete games in 573 starts.
During his career, Galvin had ten seasons of 20 or more wins and ten seasons of 20 or more losses. He reached both figures in nine seasons. Surprisingly, he never led his league in wins or losses.
__________________________
The Most Recent 20-Game Loser – Mike Maroth
Photo: Wknight94, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
Southpaw Mike Maroth is the most recent 20-game loser. Maroth went 9-21, 5.73 for the 2003 Tigers, a team that went 43-119 and finished in last place (47 games off the pace) in the AL Central Division. Maroth may have been the “ace” of the Tiger staff (he was the Opening Day starter). Maroth led the Tigers in wins, and starts – no other Tiger hurler won more than six games that season.
Consistency
After ten starts, Maroth was 0-9, 5.73 (right where his season-ending ERA stood).
Maroth had a six-season MLB career (2002-07 … Tigers, Cardinals), going 50-67, 5.05.
______________________________
Searching for a Won-Lost Rarity
Looking through records, I found that 126 of the 499 seasons (25.3%) of 20 or more losses saw the pitcher lead the league in losses. No rare air there. Twenty of those 499 seasons (four percent) saw a pitcher with 20 or more losses lead the league in wins. Rarer, but hardly unicorn status. Ah, but wait, how about 20-game losers who led their league in both wins and losses? Bingo, just two!
Jim Whitney, 1881 Boston (National League)
Jim Whitney, as a hard-throwing 23-year-old rookie, went 31-33 for the 1881 Boston NL squad, leading the National League in both wins and losses. He put up a 2.48 earned run average (the league average was 3.13) and led the NL in games (66), starts (63) and complete games (57). Whitney went on to a 10-season MLB career (1881-1890 … Boston, Kansas City Cowboys, Washington Nationals, and Indianapolis Hoosiers and the American Association Philadelphia Athletics). He had five seasons of 20 or more wins and seven seasons of 20+ losses – producing a career stat line of 191-204, 2.97.
Phil Niekro, 1979 Atlanta Braves
Photo: Texas Rangers via tradingcarddb.com, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In 1979, knuckleballer – and future Hall of famer – Phil Niekro became just the second pitcher to lose 20 or more games and lead his league in wins and losses in the same season. Pitching for a Braves’ squad that went 66-94, Niekro went 21-20, 3.39, leading the NL in starts (44), complete games (23), innings pitched (342) – as well as in home runs allowed (41), walks (113) and hit batsmen (11). Adding to the oddity, Niekro tied for the NL lead in wins … with his brother Joe, who went 21-11 for the Astros. Phil Niekro hovered around .500 all season He was 3-4 as of May 1; 5-8 as of June 1; 10-10 as of July 1; 14-13 on August 1. He went into the season’s final month at 17-17 and went 4-3, 2.65 in September to close out a 21-20.
A Recent Rarity
Phil Niekro is the last MLB pitcher to lose 20 games in a season and still have a .500+ winning percentage. Before Niekro, that distinction belonged to Walter Johnson, who went 25-20 for the 1916 Washington Nationals.
Niekro pitched in 24 MLB seasons (1964-87 … Braves, Yankees, Indians, Blue Jays). He went 318-274, 3.35 and recorded 245 complete games in 716 starts. He was a five-time All Star and three-time 20-game winner (leading the NL in wins twice). He also led the NL in winning percentage once, starts four times, complete games four times, innings pitched four times and strikeouts once. On the flip side, he led the league in losses four times (twice losing 20 games in a season), home runs allowed four times, walks three times, hit batsmen three times and wild pitches three times.
________________________________
Fewest Starts in a 20-loss Season …. 20 – Les German
In 1896, Les German split his season between the NL New York Giants and Washington Senators – going 2-20, 6.43. He started 20 games and relieved in eight. German pitched six MLB seasons (1890, 1893-97), going 34-63, 5.45.
Fewest Wins in a 20-loss Season … 1 – John Cassidy & Jack Nabors
John Cassidy went 1-21. 3.03 in 1875, for the National Association Brooklyn Atlantics. It was the 20-year-old’s rookie season. He forged an 11-season MLB career (1875-1885 … Brooklyn Atlantics, New Haven Elm Citys, Hartford Dark Blues, Chicago White Stockings, Troy Trojans, Providence Grays, Brooklyn), but only pitched in two seasons 1875 and 1877 (two games). As an outfielder/first baseman, he hit .246-5-191 over his career.,
John Cassidy’s .045 winning percentage in 1875 is the lowest ever for a pitcher who lost 20 or more games in a season.
Jack Nabors went 1-20, 3.47 for the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics. It was the righthander’s only full MLB season, (He pitched in ten games for the Athletics as a 27-year-old rookie in 1915 and in two games in 1917.) In that 1916 season, he pitched in 40 games (30 starts) and had 11 complete games.
A Good Start – The Finish, Not So Much
Jack Nabors’ only win in 1816 came in his first start of the season (April 22), when he beat the Red Sox 6-2. He threw a nine-inning complete game: eight hits, two runs (unearned), two walks and four whiffs. Little did he know it would be the only “W” he would see by his name in his MLB career. Nabors’ career record was 1-25, 3.87 (52 games, 37 starts, 13 complete games).
_____________________________
Most Wins By A Pitcher ins a Season of Twenty or More Losses – 52, Guy Hecker, 1885 Louisville Colonels, American Association
Photo: Goodwin & Co., sponsor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
First, a look into the search for a rarity that led to this portion of the post. (This is also a “one thing leads to another” example of Baseball Roundtable and the statistical rabbit hole.) As I scoured through stats, I saw that, in 107 (21.4%) of MLB’s 499 20-loss seasons, the pitcher put up a winning percentage of .500 or better. I also noted that the 1884 season saw the most 20-loss campaigns, as 25 pitchers reached or exceeded twenty defeats and that nine of those pitchers (36 %) finished at .500 or better. (The 1884 season featured 33 major-league teams … National League, Union Association and American Association.) No rarities here. But 1884, did turn up some 20-game loser rarities.
The most wins by a pitcher in a season with 20 or more losses is 52 by the 1884 Louisville Colonels’ (American Association) Guy Hecker (52-20, with a 1.80 earned run average). That season, Hecker led the AA in wins, earned run average, games (75), starts (73), complete games (72), innings pitched (670 2/3), hits allowed (526) and strikeouts (385). As you would expect, his .722 winning percentage is the best ever in a season of 20 or more losses.
Hecker finished his nine-season MLB career at 175-46, 2.93, with a .282 batting average (he pitched in 336 games, played first base in 322 and outfield in 75).
A Bit of an Oddity
Guy Hecker won the American Association ERA title in 1884 (1.80) and the league’s batting title in 1886 (.341).
The most wins in a 20-loss season since 1900 belong to Joe McGinnity, who went 31-20, 2.43 for the 1903 Giants. He led the league in wins games (55), starts (48), complete games (44) and innings pitched (434). His .608 winning percentage is also the best in a 20 or more-loss season since 1900. In 19 MLB seasons (1899-1908 … Orioles, Superbas, Giants), McGinnity went 246-142, 2.66. He won 20 or more games in eight seasons (leading the league five times) and lost 20 or more in two seasons.
An Oddity of the One Thing Leads to Another Variety
This one is from one of Hall of Famer Iron Joe McGinnity’s 20-loss seasons. In August of 1903, the Giants’ McGinnity started both games of a doubleheader three times (August 1, 8 and 31) and won all six games. That same month, he pitched just one game on six occasions – and went 1-5. On the season, he went 31-20, 2.43.
____________________________________
Here’s the Ball, Go Get’ Em Rook
A total of 77 rookies have lost 20 or more games – 56 pre-1900, 21 since 1900 and just two since 1960.
The last rookie to rack up a 20-loss season was the Padres’ Clay Kirby – in 1969, when he went 7-20, 3.80. He went on to an eight-season MLB career (1969-76 … Padres, Reds. Expos), going 75-104, 3.84. His best season was 1971, when he went 15-13, 2.93, with 13 complete games in 36 starts for the Padres.
One and Out
Twenty-six pitchers have lost 20 or more games in their final MLB season. For ten of those players, it was their ONLY MLB season. Nine of those ten played before 1900. The unicorn, in this case, was Henry Keupper, who went 8-20, 4.27 for the 1914 Federal League St. Louis Terriers. The most losses for any of these one season-and-out pitchers goes to George Cobb of the 1892 National League Baltimore Orioles, who went 10-37, 4.86 in his lone MLB season.
________________________________________
The Win-Loss Yo-Yo
Photo: Chicago White Sox, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Since 1900, only one pitcher has TWICE put up a season of twenty losses immediately after a season of twenty wins. That unicorn would be the White Sox’ Wilbur Wood, who accomplished the feat between 1972 and 1975.
Wood was an All Star in 1972, going 24-17 for the White Sox (leading the league in wins). In 1973, he lost 20 games (but again led the AL with 24 wins). Then, in 1974, he went 20-198, 3.60, before losing 20 games (16 wins) in 1975.
Wood – a southpaw knuckleball pitcher – started his MLB career primarily as a reliever, just 21 starts in 365 appearances between 1961 and 1970. He was converted to a starter by the White Sox in 1971 and won 20 or more games in each of the next four seasons. He played in 17 MLB seasons, going 164-156, 3.13, with 57 saves. He made a total of 651 appearances (297 starts). Wood was a three-time All Star and led his league in wins twice (losses once), games pitched three times, games started four times, and innings pitched twice.
____________________________________________
Here’s a look at pitchers, since 1900, who have either followed up a 20-win season with 20 losses in the next campaign, or followed a 20-loss season immediately with a 20-win season.
We’re closing in on the end. (Still with me?)
My Three favorite 20-game Losers — Two Youngs and a Larsen
- Don Larsen … In 1954, just two years before he would pitch a World Series Perfect Game for the Yankees, Larsen went 3021, 4.37 for the Orioles (The Orioles were 54-100 that season.) Larsen went 81-91, 3.78 in 14 MLB seasons.
- Cy Young … MLB’s winningest pitcher (511 victories) also lost the most career games (315). His record included three seasons of 20 or more losses (in two of those he had more wins than losses). In 1909, his age-39 seasons, Young went 13-21, 3.19 for the Boston Americans of the AL. In is 22-season MLB career, 16 seasons of 20 or more wins (five of those of 30 or more).
- Irv Young … There have been only two MLB teams to “boast” four twenty-game loser in the same season and Irv Young was one of the 20-game losers on both of them. The 1905 Boston Beaneaters featured a rotation that included Vic Willis (12-29), Chick Fraser (14-21), Irvin Wilhelm (3-23) and the “ace” of the staff, Irv Young (20-21). Boston finished 51-103-2. The very next season, Boston Young again led the Boston staff with a 16-25 record, followed up by Vive Lindaman (12-23), Jeff Pfeffer (13-22) and Gus Dorner (8-25). That season, Boston finished 49-102-1.
Special thanks to Bill Nowlin and Emmet R. Nowlin, editors of “20-Game Losers” (Society for American Baseball Research Inc., 2017) for including a chapter on “A Staff With Four Twenty Game Losers” in that publication.
Baseball Balance: As noted above only two MLB teams have completed a season with four twenty-game losses. On the other end of the scales, only two teams have finished a season with four twenty-game winners: the 1920 White sox, with Red Faber (23-13), Lefty Williams (22-14), Dickey Kerr (21-9) and Eddie Cicotte (21-10) & the 1971 Orioles, with Dave McNally (21-5), Pat Dobson (20-8), Jim Palmer (20-9) and Mike Cueller (20-9).
Deep breath, here’s the finish line.
The name game. Some pitchers (whose names stuck out for me) with 20-loss seasons under their belts: Steve Carlton; Walter Johnson; Jerry Koosman; Mickey Lolich; Rube Marquard; Denny McLain; Old Hoss Radbourn; Eppa Rixey; Robin Roberts; Red Ruffing; Amos Rusie; Mel Stottlemyre; Luis Tiant.
Nicknames. Ah, those were the days. Here are some 20-game losers with nicknames that grabbed me: Ice Box Chamberlain; Egyptian Healy; Phenomenal Smith; Tricky Nichols; The Only Nolan; Brickyard Kennedy; Bullet Joe Bush; Boom-Boom Beck; Pretzels Getzien; Cherokee Fisher; Pink Hawley; Sad Sam Jones; Bobo Newsom.
Primary Resource: Baseball Reference.com.
Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.
Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs. To see the full list, click here.
Baseball Roundtable is also on the Anytime Baseball Supply Top 66 Baseball Sites list. For the full list, click here.
I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT
Follow Baseball Roundtable’s Facebook Page here.
Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.
P1019
