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.
| 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. |
| 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 |