List of Major League Baseball career games played as a pitcher leaders
Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game, are included on a starting lineup card or are announced as ex ante substitutes, whether or not they play,[1] although, in Major League Baseball, the application of this statistic does not extend to consecutive games played streaks. A starting pitcher, then, may be credited with a game played even as he is not credited with a game started or an inning pitched.
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who pitches the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum. There are many different types of pitchers, such as the starting pitcher, relief pitcher, middle reliever, lefty specialist, setup man, and closer.
Jesse Orosco[2][3] is all-time leader in games played as a pitcher with 1,252 games played in his career at the position in his career. Only fourteen different pitchers played over 1,000 games at the pitcher's mound during their careers.[4]
Key[]
Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career games played. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2021 Gs) | Number of games played during the 2021 Major League Baseball season. |
G as P | Total career games played as a pitcher. |
* | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Bold | Denotes active player.[a] |
List[]
- Stats updated as of the end of the 2021 season.
Rank | Player (2021 Gs) | G as P |
---|---|---|
1 | Jesse Orosco | 1,252 |
2 | Mike Stanton | 1,178 |
3 | John Franco | 1,119 |
4 | Mariano Rivera * | 1,115 |
5 | Dennis Eckersley * | 1,071 |
6 | Hoyt Wilhelm * | 1,070 |
7 | Dan Plesac | 1,064 |
8 | Mike Timlin | 1,058 |
9 | Kent Tekulve | 1,050 |
10 | LaTroy Hawkins | 1,042 |
11 | Trevor Hoffman * | 1,035 |
12 | José Mesa | 1,022 |
Lee Smith * | 1,022 | |
14 | Roberto Hernández | 1,010 |
15 | Mike Jackson | 1,005 |
16 | Rich Gossage * | 1,002 |
17 | Lindy McDaniel | 987 |
18 | Todd Jones | 982 |
19 | David Weathers | 964 |
20 | Fernando Rodney | 951 |
21 | Francisco Rodriguez | 948 |
22 | Rollie Fingers * | 944 |
23 | Gene Garber | 931 |
24 | Eddie Guardado | 908 |
25 | Cy Young * | 906 |
26 | Arthur Rhodes | 900 |
27 | Sparky Lyle | 899 |
28 | Jim Kaat * | 898 |
29 | Kyle Farnsworth | 893 |
30 | Tom Gordon | 890 |
31 | Paul Assenmacher | 884 |
32 | Mike Myers | 883 |
33 | Alan Embree | 882 |
34 | Jeff Reardon | 880 |
35 | Don McMahon | 874 |
36 | Phil Niekro * | 864 |
37 | Charlie Hough | 858 |
38 | Billy Wagner | 853 |
39 | Roy Face | 848 |
40 | Doug Jones | 846 |
41 | Chad Qualls | 844 |
42 | Paul Quantrill | 841 |
43 | Javier Lopez | 839 |
44 | Bob Wickman | 835 |
45 | Steve Reed | 833 |
46 | Joe Smith (50) | 832 |
47 | Julian Tavarez | 828 |
48 | Tug McGraw | 824 |
49 | Nolan Ryan * | 807 |
50 | Tyler Clippard (26) | 803 |
Rank | Player (2021 Gs) | G as P |
---|---|---|
51 | Walter Johnson * | 802 |
52 | Francisco Cordero | 800 |
53 | Jeff Nelson | 798 |
Sergio Romo (66) | 798 | |
55 | Rick Honeycutt | 797 |
56 | Steve Kline | 796 |
57 | Joe Nathan | 787 |
58 | Buddy Groom | 786 |
59 | Gaylord Perry * | 777 |
60 | Jeremy Affeldt | 774 |
Don Sutton * | 774 | |
62 | Joakim Soria (41) | 773 |
63 | Bob Howry | 769 |
64 | Darren Oliver | 766 |
65 | Mark Guthrie | 765 |
Darold Knowles | 765 | |
67 | Joaquín Benoit | 764 |
68 | Armando Benítez | 762 |
Kenny Rogers | 762 | |
70 | Tommy John | 760 |
71 | Octavio Dotel | 758 |
72 | Jack Quinn | 756 |
73 | Ron Reed | 751 |
74 | Warren Spahn * | 750 |
75 | Matt Thornton | 748 |
76 | Tom Burgmeier | 745 |
Gary Lavelle | 745 | |
78 | Willie Hernández | 744 |
Greg Maddux * | 744 | |
80 | Guillermo Mota | 743 |
81 | Steve Carlton * | 741 |
82 | Ryan Madson | 740 |
Russ Springer | 740 | |
84 | Brad Ziegler | 739 |
85 | Ron Perranoski | 737 |
86 | Ron Kline | 736 |
87 | Rick Aguilera | 732 |
Steve Bedrosian | 732 | |
89 | Clay Carroll | 731 |
90 | Randy Myers | 728 |
91 | Jason Isringhausen | 724 |
Mike Marshall | 724 | |
93 | Roger McDowell | 723 |
John Smoltz * | 723 | |
95 | Jeff Fassero | 720 |
96 | Jamey Wright | 719 |
97 | Dave Righetti | 718 |
98 | Ron Villone | 717 |
99 | Danny Darwin | 716 |
100 | Eric Plunk | 714 |
References[]
- ^ A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.
- ^ Section 20 of the official scorer guidelines
- ^ "Jesse Orosco Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ Costello, Rory. "Jesse Orosco Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Def. Games as P". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
External links[]
- "Career Leaders & Records for Def. Games as P". Baseball-Reference.com.
- Major League Baseball statistics
- Major League Baseball lists