List of Major League Baseball career games started leaders

Cy Young, the all-time leader in career starts

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 holds the Major League Baseball games started record with 815; Nolan Ryan is second with 773. Young is the only pitcher in MLB history to start more than 800 career games. Nolan Ryan (773), Don Sutton (756), Greg Maddux (740), Phil Niekro (716), Steve Carlton (709), Roger Clemens (707), and Tommy John (700) are the only other pitches to have started 700 or more games their career.

Key

Rank	Rank amongst leaders in career wins. A blank field indicates a tie.
Player (2016 GS)	Number of games started during the 2016 Major League Baseball season
GS	Total career games started
*	Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bold	Denotes active player.[note 1]

Career leaders in games started

• Stats updated as of May 3, 2016

Rank	Player (2016 GS)	GS
1	Cy Young *	815
2	Nolan Ryan *	773
3	Don Sutton *	756
4	Greg Maddux *	740
5	Phil Niekro *	716
6	Steve Carlton *	709
7	Roger Clemens	707
8	Tommy John	700
9	Gaylord Perry *	690
10	Pud Galvin *	688
11	Bert Blyleven *	685
12	Tom Glavine *	682
13	Walter Johnson *	666
14	Warren Spahn *	665
15	Tom Seaver *	647
16	Jamie Moyer	638
17	Jim Kaat	625
18	Frank Tanana	616
19	Early Wynn *	611
20	Robin Roberts *	609
21	Randy Johnson *	603
22	Grover Cleveland Alexander *	600
23	Ferguson Jenkins *	594
	Tim Keefe *	594
25	Bobby Mathews	568
26	Dennis Martínez	562
	Kid Nichols *	562
28	Eppa Rixey *	554
29	Christy Mathewson *	552
30	Mickey Welch *	549
31	Jerry Reuss	547
32	Red Ruffing *	538
33	Mike Mussina	536
34	Eddie Plank *	529
	Rick Reuschel	529
36	Jerry Koosman	527
	Jack Morris	527
38	Jim Palmer *	521
	Andy Pettitte	521
40	Jim Bunning *	519
41	John Clarkson *	518
42	Jack Powell	516
43	Gus Weyhing	505
44	Tony Mullane	504
45	Charlie Radbourn *	502
46	Joe Niekro	500
47	Bob Friend	497
	Burleigh Grimes *	497
49	Mickey Lolich	496
50	Mark Buehrle (0)	493

Rank	Player (2016 GS)	GS
51	David Wells	489
52	Claude Osteen	488
53	Sad Sam Jones	487
54	Jim McCormick	485
55	Bob Feller *	484
	Ted Lyons *	484
	Luis Tiant	484
58	Red Faber *	483
	Bobo Newsom	483
60	Bob Gibson *	482
61	John Smoltz *	481
62	Tim Hudson	479
63	Kevin Brown	476
	Catfish Hunter *	476
65	Liván Hernández	474
	Kenny Rogers	474
67	Vida Blue	473
	Earl Whitehill	473
69	Bartolo Colón (5)	472
70	Vic Willis *	471
71	Chuck Finley	467
72	Orel Hershiser	466
73	Don Drysdale *	465
	Milt Pappas	465
75	Doyle Alexander	464
76	Tim Wakefield	463
77	Curt Simmons	462
	Bob Welch	462
79	Mike Torrez	458
80	Lefty Grove *	457
	Juan Marichal *	457
	CC Sabathia (5)	457
83	Rick Wise	455
84	Jim Perry	447
85	Paul Derringer	445
86	Kevin Millwood	443
	Jack Quinn	443
	Javier Vázquez	443
89	Charlie Hough	440
	Mike Moore	440
91	Whitey Ford *	438
92	Curt Schilling	436
93	Mel Harder	433
	Carl Hubbell *	433
	Billy Pierce	433
96	A. J. Burnett	430
97	Larry Jackson	429
98	Mark Langston	428
	George Mullin	428
100	Amos Rusie *	427

Notes

1. A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.

External links

• Baseball-Reference.com