# List of Major League Baseball career losses leaders

In the sport of baseball, a loss is a statistic credited to the pitcher of the losing team responsible for the run that gives the opposing team the lead with which the game is won (the go-ahead run). The losing pitcher is the pitcher responsible for the go-ahead run to reach base for a lead that the winning team never relinquishes. If a pitcher allows a run which gives the opposing team the lead, his team comes back to lead or tie the game, and then the opposing team regains the lead against a subsequent pitcher, the earlier pitcher does not get the loss.
Cy Young holds the MLB loss record with 316; Pud Galvin is second with 308. Young and Galvin are the only players to earn 300 or more losses.

## Key

| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career games lost. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player | Name of player. |
| L | Total career games lost |
| * | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |

## List

| Rank | Player | L |
| 1 | Cy Young * | 316 |
| 2 | Pud Galvin * | 308 |
| 3 | Nolan Ryan * | 292 |
| 4 | Walter Johnson * | 279 |
| 5 | Phil Niekro * | 274 |
| 6 | Gaylord Perry * | 265 |
| 7 | Don Sutton * | 256 |
| 8 | Jack Powell | 254 |
| 9 | Eppa Rixey * | 251 |
| 10 | Bert Blyleven * | 250 |
| 11 | Bobby Mathews | 248 |
| 12 | Robin Roberts * | 245 |
| | Warren Spahn * | 245 |
| 14 | Steve Carlton * | 244 |
| | Early Wynn * | 244 |
| 16 | Jim Kaat * | 237 |
| 17 | Frank Tanana | 236 |
| 18 | Gus Weyhing | 232 |
| 19 | Tommy John | 231 |
| 20 | Bob Friend | 230 |
| | Ted Lyons * | 230 |
| 22 | Greg Maddux * | 227 |
| 23 | Ferguson Jenkins * | 226 |
| 24 | Tim Keefe * | 225 |
| | Red Ruffing * | 225 |
| 26 | Bobo Newsom | 222 |
| 27 | Tony Mullane | 220 |
| 28 | Jack Quinn | 218 |
| 29 | Sad Sam Jones | 217 |
| 30 | Charlie Hough | 216 |
| 31 | Jim McCormick | 214 |
| 32 | Red Faber * | 213 |
| 33 | Paul Derringer | 212 |
| | Chick Fraser | 212 |
| | Burleigh Grimes * | 212 |
| 36 | Mickey Welch * | 210 |
| 37 | Jerry Koosman | 209 |
| | Jamie Moyer | 209 |
| 39 | Grover Cleveland Alexander * | 208 |
| | Kid Nichols * | 208 |
| 41 | Tom Seaver * | 205 |
| | Vic Willis * | 205 |
| 43 | Joe Niekro | 204 |
| | Jim Whitney | 204 |
| 45 | Tom Glavine * | 203 |
| 46 | George Mullin * | 196 |
| | Adonis Terry | 196 |
| 48 | Claude Osteen | 195 |
| 49 | Eddie Plank * | 194 |
| | Charles Radbourn * | 194 |
| Rank | Player | L |
| 51 | Dennis Martínez | 193 |
| 52 | Mickey Lolich | 191 |
| | Rick Reuschel | 191 |
| | Jerry Reuss | 191 |
| | Tom Zachary | 191 |
| 56 | Al Orth | 189 |
| 57 | Bartolo Colón | 188 |
| | Christy Mathewson * | 188 |
| 59 | Mel Harder | 186 |
| | Mike Morgan | 186 |
| | Jack Morris * | 186 |
| 62 | Earl Whitehill | 185 |
| 63 | Jim Bunning * | 184 |
| | Bullet Joe Bush | 184 |
| | Roger Clemens | 184 |
| 66 | Larry Jackson | 183 |
| | Curt Simmons | 183 |
| 68 | Danny Darwin | 182 |
| | Hooks Dauss | 182 |
| | Waite Hoyt * | 182 |
| 71 | Murry Dickson | 181 |
| | Dutch Leonard | 181 |
| | Rick Wise | 181 |
| 74 | Lee Meadows | 180 |
| | Tim Wakefield | 180 |
| 76 | Pink Hawley | 179 |
| | Dolf Luque | 179 |
| 78 | John Clarkson * | 178 |
| | Wilbur Cooper | 178 |
| 80 | Bill Dinneen | 177 |
| | Liván Hernández | 177 |
| | Rube Marquard * | 177 |
| 83 | Mike Moore | 176 |
| 84 | Red Donahue | 175 |
| 85 | Doyle Alexander | 174 |
| | Bob Gibson * | 174 |
| | Tom Hughes | 174 |
| | Jim Perry | 174 |
| | Amos Rusie * | 174 |
| 90 | Chuck Finley | 173 |
| 91 | Luis Tiant | 172 |
| 92 | Dennis Eckersley * | 171 |
| | Larry French | 171 |
| 94 | Ted Breitenstein | 170 |
| | Camilo Pascual | 170 |
| 96 | Billy Pierce | 169 |
| 97 | Red Ames | 167 |
| | Jim Clancy | 167 |
| | Bert Cunningham | 167 |
| | Red Ehret | 167 |