In the sport of baseball, a loss is a statistic credited to the pitcher of the losing team who allows 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 who allows 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.[1]
John Coleman holds the record for most losses in a single season, losing 48 games in 1883.[2] [3] [4] [5] Will White[6] (42 in 1880), Larry McKeon[7] (41 in 1884), George Bradley[8] (40 in 1879), and Jim McCormick[9] (40 in 1879) are the only other pitchers to lose more than 40 games in a single season. There has been 50 instances of a pitcher losing more than 30 games in a season, all taking place during the 19th century.[10]
| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in single-season wins. A blank field indicates a tie. | |
| Player | Name of player. | |
| L | Total single-season losses. | |
| Year | Season losses were recorded. | |
| Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
| Rank | Player | L | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Coleman | 48 | 1883 | |
| 2 | Will White | 42 | 1880 | |
| 3 | Larry McKeon | 41 | 1884 | |
| 4 | George Bradley | 40 | 1879 | |
| Jim McCormick | 40 | 1879 | ||
| 6 | Kid Carsey | 37 | 1891 | |
| George Cobb | 37 | 1892 | ||
| Henry Porter | 37 | 1888 | ||
| 9 | Bill Hutchison | 36 | 1892 | |
| Stump Weidman | 36 | 1886 | ||
| 11 | Jim Devlin | 35 | 1876 | |
| Red Donahue | 35 | 1897 | ||
| Pud Galvin * | 35 | 1880 | ||
| Hardie Henderson | 35 | 1885 | ||
| Fleury Sullivan | 35 | 1884 | ||
| Adonis Terry | 35 | 1884 | ||
| 17 | Mark Baldwin | 34 | 1889 | |
| Bob Barr | 34 | 1884 | ||
| Matt Kilroy | 34 | 1886 | ||
| Bobby Mathews | 34 | 1876 | ||
| Al Mays | 34 | 1887 | ||
| Amos Rusie * | 34 | 1890 | ||
| 23 | Jersey Bakley | 33 | 1888 | |
| Hardie Henderson | 33 | 1883 | ||
| Harry McCormick | 33 | 1879 | ||
| Frank Mountain | 33 | 1883 | ||
| Lee Richmond | 33 | 1882 | ||
| Dupee Shaw | 33 | 1884 | ||
| Jim Whitney | 33 | 1881 | ||
| 30 | John Harkins | 32 | 1884 | |
| Lee Richmond | 32 | 1880 | ||
| Jim Whitney | 32 | 1885 | ||
| Jim Whitney | 32 | 1886 | ||
| 34 | Billy Crowell | 31 | 1887 | |
| Charles Radbourn * | 31 | 1886 | ||
| Amos Rusie | 31 | 1892 |
| Rank | Player | L | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dupee Shaw | 31 | 1886 | ||
| Sam Weaver | 31 | 1878 | ||
| Will White | 31 | 1879 | ||
| 40 | Jersey Bakley | 30 | 1884 | |
| Ed Beatin | 30 | 1890 | ||
| Ted Breitenstein | 30 | 1895 | ||
| John Ewing | 30 | 1889 | ||
| Jim Hughey | 30 | 1899 | ||
| Jack Lynch | 30 | 1886 | ||
| Jim McCormick | 30 | 1881 | ||
| Jim McCormick | 30 | 1882 | ||
| Toad Ramsey | 30 | 1888 | ||
| Phenomenal Smith | 30 | 1887 | ||
| Mickey Welch * | 30 | 1880 | ||
| 51 | Tommy Bond | 29 | 1880 | |
| Bert Cunningham | 29 | 1888 | ||
| Red Ehret | 29 | 1889 | ||
| Pud Galvin * | 29 | 1883 | ||
| Bill Hart | 29 | 1896 | ||
| Egyptian Healy | 29 | 1887 | ||
| Silver King | 29 | 1891 | ||
| Doc Landis | 29 | 1882 | ||
| Hank O'Day * | 29 | 1888 | ||
| Jack Taylor | 29 | 1898 | ||
| Vic Willis * | 29 | 1905 | ||
| 62 | Mark Baldwin | 28 | 1891 | |
| Hugh Daily | 28 | 1884 | ||
| Duke Esper | 28 | 1893 | ||
| Bill Hill | 28 | 1896 | ||
| Jim McCormick | 28 | 1880 | ||
| Hank O'Day * | 28 | 1884 | ||
| Gus Weyhing | 28 | 1887 | ||
| 69 | Mark Baldwin | 27 | 1892 | |
| George Bell | 27 | 1910 | ||
| Charlie Buffinton | 27 | 1885 | ||
| Bill Carrick | 27 | 1899 |
| Rank | Player | L | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Derringer | 27 | 1933 | ||
| Chick Fraser | 27 | 1896 | ||
| Pud Galvin * | 27 | 1879 | ||
| Bill Hart | 27 | 1897 | ||
| Pink Hawley | 27 | 1894 | ||
| Tim Keefe * | 27 | 1881 | ||
| Tim Keefe * | 27 | 1883 | ||
| Phil Knell | 27 | 1891 | ||
| Al Mays | 27 | 1886 | ||
| Tony Mullane | 27 | 1886 | ||
| Toad Ramsey | 27 | 1886 | ||
| Toad Ramsey | 27 | 1887 | ||
| Willie Sudhoff | 27 | 1898 | ||
| Parke Swartzel | 27 | 1889 | ||
| Dummy Taylor | 27 | 1901 | ||
| 88 | Al Atkinson | 26 | 1884 | |
| Ted Breitenstein | 26 | 1896 | ||
| Dory Dean | 26 | 1876 | ||
| George Derby | 26 | 1881 | ||
| Gus Dorner | 26 | 1906 | ||
| Pud Galvin * | 26 | 1885 | ||
| Bob Groom | 26 | 1909 | ||
| George Haddock | 26 | 1890 | ||
| Tim Keefe * | 26 | 1882 | ||
| Frank Killen | 26 | 1892 | ||
| John Kirby | 26 | 1886 | ||
| Terry Larkin | 26 | 1878 | ||
| Tony Mullane | 26 | 1884 | ||
| Tony Mullane | 26 | 1891 | ||
| Jack Neagle | 26 | 1884 | ||
| Lee Richmond | 26 | 1881 | ||
| Dupee Shaw | 26 | 1885 | ||
| Harry Staley | 26 | 1889 | ||
| Happy Townsend | 26 | 1904 | ||
| Gus Weyhing | 26 | 1898 |