List of Major League Baseball career games started leaders
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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[1][2][3] holds the Major League Baseball games started record with 815. Young is the only pitcher in MLB history to start more than 800 career games. Nolan Ryan[4] (773), Don Sutton[5] (756), Greg Maddux[6] (740), Phil Niekro[7] (716), Steve Carlton[8] (709), Roger Clemens[9] (707), and Tommy John[10] (700) are the only other pitchers to have started 700 or more games their career.
Key
| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career wins. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player (2026 GS) | Number of games started during the 2026 Major League Baseball season |
| GS | Total career games started |
| * | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
|---|---|
| Bold | Denotes active player.[note 1] |
List
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- Stats updated as of April 24, 2026.[11]
| Rank | Player (2026 GS) | GS |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Bob Friend | 497 |
| Burleigh Grimes* | 497 | |
| 53 | Mickey Lolich | 496 |
| 54 | Mark Buehrle | 493 |
| 55 | David Wells | 489 |
| 56 | Claude Osteen | 488 |
| 57 | Sad Sam Jones | 487 |
| 58 | Jim McCormick | 485 |
| 59 | Bob Feller* | 484 |
| Ted Lyons* | 484 | |
| Luis Tiant | 484 | |
| 62 | Red Faber* | 483 |
| Bobo Newsom | 483 | |
| 64 | Bob Gibson* | 482 |
| 65 | John Smoltz* | 481 |
| 66 | Tim Hudson | 479 |
| Max Scherzer (5) | 479 | |
| 68 | Kevin Brown | 476 |
| Catfish Hunter* | 476 | |
| 70 | Liván Hernández | 474 |
| Kenny Rogers | 474 | |
| 72 | Vida Blue | 473 |
| Earl Whitehill | 473 | |
| 74 | Vic Willis* | 471 |
| 75 | Chuck Finley | 467 |
| 76 | Orel Hershiser | 466 |
| 77 | Don Drysdale* | 465 |
| Milt Pappas | 465 | |
| 79 | Doyle Alexander | 464 |
| 80 | Tim Wakefield | 463 |
| 81 | Curt Simmons | 462 |
| Bob Welch | 462 | |
| 83 | Mike Torrez | 458 |
| 84 | Lefty Grove* | 457 |
| Juan Marichal* | 457 | |
| 86 | Rick Wise | 455 |
| 87 | Clayton Kershaw | 451 |
| Jon Lester | 451 | |
| 89 | Jim Perry | 447 |
| 90 | John Lackey | 446 |
| 91 | Paul Derringer | 445 |
| 92 | Kevin Millwood | 443 |
| Jack Quinn | 443 | |
| Javier Vázquez | 443 | |
| 95 | Charlie Hough | 440 |
| Mike Moore | 440 | |
| 97 | Whitey Ford* | 438 |
| 98 | Curt Schilling | 436 |
| 99 | Mel Harder | 433 |
| Carl Hubbell* | 433 | |
| Billy Pierce | 433 |
Notes
- A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or has not played for a full season.
