Can You Name the MLB Team by Its Winningest Pitcher?

By: Kale Havervold
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
Can You Name the MLB Team by Its Winningest Pitcher?
Image: Charles M. Conlon via WikiCommons

About This Quiz

While wins are rarely a stat used to judge the skill or success of a pitcher (as a win is a team effort), they are an important part of baseball history and tradition. Several pitchers have accumulated hundreds and hundreds of wins during their professional careers, numbers that won't likely be reached by many active or future pitchers due to injuries, better bullpens and pitch counts for many starters.

You likely know the names of some of these historic hurlers and their many accolades, but do you know where they played their major league ball and got their wins? For example, do you know where Bob Gibson got all 251 of his professional MLB wins? How about which team both Cy Young and Roger Clemens share the award for most wins in franchise history?

If you're up to snuff on your baseball pitching history, or just want to learn a little more about the winningest pitchers in history, this is the quiz for you.

Without any further ado, get ready to take the mound against our quiz all about naming the teams of the winningest pitchers in MLB history. Will you pitch a strikeout or give up a home run?

24 Cy Young
Bain News Service via WikiCommons
The winningest pitcher for this team is actually a tie between Roger Clemens and Cy Young. Which team are we talking about?
Tampa Bay Rays
Boston Red Sox
Kansas City Royals
Washington Nationals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That's right, the win record for the historic Boston Red Sox franchise is shared by Roger Clemens and Cy Young. Each of the men pitched for 192 wins for the franchise, and their losses were only one off from being the same, as well.

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16 Don Sutton
Hostess via WikiCommons
Of the following teams, which did Don Sutton earn the franchise record for wins for?
Toronto Blue Jays
Los Angeles Dodgers
Chicago White Sox
St. Louis Cardinals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Of the many great pitchers that have played for the Dodgers, none have won more games for the franchise than Don Sutton. However, depending how long he plays, Clayton Kershaw could break the record.

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2 Jim Palmer
"Unknown" via WikiCommons
Which team does Jim Palmer hold the most all-time wins for?
Arizona Diamondbacks
Baltimore Orioles
Washington Nationals
Houston Astros
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jim Palmer has won more games in a Baltimore Orioles uniform than any other pitcher. During his 19 years with the Orioles, Palmer won 268 games, which is almost 100 more than any other Orioles pitcher.

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13 Paul Splitorff
Kankas City Royals via WikiCommons
While never even being named an all-star, Paul Splittorff has the most wins for which franchise?
Kansas City Royals
Baltimore Orioles
Miami Marlins
Arizona Diamondbacks
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Paul Splittorff is the winningest pitcher in the history of the Kansas City Royals, with 166. He was never a huge star, but was incredibly consistent, which helped his career have considerable longevity.

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28 Randy Johnson
SD Dirk via WikiCommons
Which team did the legendary Randy Johnson pitch a record 118 wins for?
Boston Red Sox
Atlanta Braves
Arizona Diamondbacks
Chicago White Sox
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Randy Johnson is, without a doubt, the best pitcher that the Arizona Diamondbacks have ever had. He leads them in most important pitching categories including wins, E.R.A., W.A.R., strikeouts and games started.

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25 Charlie Hough
MLB via Youtube
Which team does Charlie Hough have the most career wins for?
Texas Rangers
Cincinnati Reds
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite only having 139 wins for the team, Charlie Hough is the winningest pitcher in the history of the Texas Rangers. He also ranks highly in other categories such as W.A.R., strikeouts and complete games.

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4 James Shields Edited
Wknight94 via WikiCommons
James Shields holds the win record for this club with only 87. Which team is it?
Washington Nationals
Pittsburgh Pirates
Detroit Tigers
Tampa Bay Rays
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James Shields is the all-time wins leader for the Tampa Bay Rays with 87. This is because the Tampa Bay Rays are a fairly new team and have only been around since 1998. This one is among the few on this list that could one day be broken.

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19 Bob Feller
Bowman Gum via Youtube
Which team did the legendary Bob Feller win a team record 266 games for?
Cleveland Indians
Toronto Blue Jays
St. Louis Cardinals
Minnesota Twins
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bob Feller spent his entire MLB career with the Cleveland Indians and won 266 games for the club. If this wasn't impressive enough, he also had his career interrupted for four years as he joined the Navy. His wins would have been much higher had he been able to play those four years.

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27 Warren Spahn
vintagetradingcards.org via WikiCommons
Of all the MLB teams, which is Warren Spahn the all-time winningest pitcher for?
San Diego Padres
Atlanta Braves
San Francisco Giants
Kansas City Royals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During his career, Warren Spahn racked up 356 wins with the Atlanta Braves. He is one of the most talented left-handers of all time, and has the most wins of any left-handed pitcher in MLB history.

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20 Chuck Finley
Jerry Reuss via Youtube
Chuck Finley played for multiple teams, but has the all-time wins record for which MLB club?
Los Angeles Angels
Miami Marlins
New York Yankees
Los Angeles Dodgers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite him playing for other teams, no pitcher in the history of the Angels franchise has more wins than Chuck Finley. He accumulated 165 during his time with the team, which was a 14-year tenure.

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6 Felix Hernandez
KING 5 via Youtube
Felix Hernandez is currently still playing for the team he holds the franchise record for wins with. What team is it?
Arizona Diamondbacks
Philadelphia Phillies
San Francisco Giants
Seattle Mariners
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

King Felix is the all-time leader in wins for the Seattle Mariners. He joined the team in 2005 and has accumulated 169 wins so far. He remains with the team, so expect this record to continue to climb.

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10 Tom Seaver
Delaywaves via WikiCommons
Tom Seaver threw for 198 wins during his tenure with which team?
New York Yankees
Arizona Diamondbacks
Pittsburgh Pirates
New York Mets
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Tom Seaver is the all-time leader in wins for the New York Mets with 198. He had an MLB career that spanned 20 years and pitched incredibly for multiple teams throughout his career.

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30 Steve Carlton
KG Graphics via WikiCommons
Steve Carlton racked up 241 wins with which National League team?
San Francisco Giants
Philadelphia Phillies
Los Angeles Dodgers
Colorado Rockies
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Carlton is the all-time leader in wins for the Philadelphia Phillies. During his career, "Lefty" would play for a number of teams, but achieved his greatest success during his time with the Phillies, winning multiple Cy Young awards.

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8 Jim Slaton
"Unknown" via WikiCommons
Of the following teams, which did Jim Slaton win a franchise-record 117 games for?
New York Yankees
Detroit Tigers
Milwaukee Brewers
Texas Rangers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite only playing in a few seasons for the Brewers, Slaton is the all-time leader in wins with 117. After playing for a few other teams, he went on to become a coach for many different teams at different levels.

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1 Whitney Ford
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum via WikiCommons
Whitey Ford holds the record for most wins for which successful MLB franchise?
Los Angeles Dodgers
St. Louis Cardinals
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Whitey Ford got all 236 of his major league wins while playing for the New York Yankees. He played with the club for 16 years, winning six World Series rings during his illustrious career.

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23 Steve Rogers
jsmilla via Youtube
For which team does Steve Rogers have the most wins as a pitcher?
Washington Nationals
Boston Red Sox
Chicago Cubs
Colorado Rockies
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While he played for the Montreal Expos, Steve Rogers is the wins leader in the Washington Nationals franchise. He has won 158 for the franchise, but Steven Strasbourg is just shy of 50 away, so he could definitely break the record in his career if he plays long enough.

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14 Jorge de la Rosa
MLB via Youtube
Still an active pitcher, Jorge de la Rosa is the all-time leader in wins for which NL team?
Colorado Rockies
Pittsburgh Steelers
Seattle Mariners
Houston Astros
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

That's right, the win record for the Colorado Rockies is 86, which is held by Jorge de la Rosa. The team hasn't had a true ace in a while, but the record is up for the taking if someone can maintain a long career in Colorado.

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15 Eddie Plank
GrV via WikiCommons
This franchise has Eddie Plank as their all-time wins leader. Which team is it?
Boston Red Sox
Oakland Athletics
New York Mets
Milwaukee Brewers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While he played for the Philadelphia Athletics before they moved to Oakland, Eddie Plank is the franchise leader in wins with 284. He was the very first left-handed pitcher to cross the 200 wins mark.

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18 Ricky Nolasco
ScottRAnselmo via WikiCommons
What relatively new team has Ricky Nolasco as their all-time wins leader?
Arizona Diamondbacks
Miami Marlins
Los Angeles Angels
Washington Nationals
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite only having 81 wins for the team, Ricky Nolasco is the all-time franchise leader for the Miami Marlins. It is rare to see a team with a wins leader that is still in the MLB, but that is a testament to how new the Marlins are and how unsuccessful most of their history has been.

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26 Dave Stieb
Dave Stieb pitching via WikiCommons
Dave Stieb was on the mound for a record 175 wins for which MLB team?
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles Angels
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dave Stieb is the all-time leader in wins for the Toronto Blue Jays. He recorded 175 wins for the Blue Jays, and was the second most-winningest pitcher of the 1980s, with 140 games.

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5 Hooks Dauss
"Unknown" via WikiCommons
In addition to having a very cool name, Hooks Dauss is also the all time-wins leader for which AL team?
Detroit Tigers
Houston Astros
Texas Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hooks Dauss is the holder of the record for most wins in Detroit Tigers history with 223. He only ever played with the Tigers and got the name "Hooks" because his curveball was incredibly hard to hit.

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3 Eppa Rixey
Bain News Service via WikiCommons
Eppa Rixey had a great career and won more games than any other pitcher for which team?
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners
Cleveland Indians
Cincinnati Reds
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While he had his fair share of losses during his time with the Reds, Eppa Rixey is their winningest pitcher ever with a total of 179 wins for the club. He played with the team for over 10 years, after coming over from the Phillies.

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9 Bob Gibson
Baseball Digest via WikiCommons
Which team did Bob Gibson get all of his 251 MLB wins for?
Atlanta Braves
St. Louis Cardinals
Toronto Blue Jays
Miami Marlins
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Bob Gibson got all of his professional wins and played all 17 seasons of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He had an incredible career, won many awards and was known for his competitive nature.

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21 Ted Lyons
The Library of Congress-American Memory via WikiCommons
What team did Ted Lyons win all 260 of his MLB wins for?
Texas Rangers
Tampa Bay Rays
Chicago White Sox
Chicago Cubs
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During his 21 years in the majors, Ted Lyons won each and every one of his 260 wins on the mound for the Chicago White Sox. After retiring in 1946, he went on to manage the very team he used to play for.

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22 Wilbur Cooper
The Sporting News Archives via Youtube
Wilbur Cooper is the winningest pitcher in the history of which NL franchise?
Pittsburgh Pirates
Atlanta Braves
St. Louis Cardinals
San Diego Padres
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

While he played for a few teams, Wilbur Cooper is best known for where he spent the majority of his career, the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won 202 games for them, including multiple 20-win seasons during the tail end of his career.

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12 Eric Show
Mitchell Gossman via Youtube
Eric Show got an even 100 wins with which franchise to be their all-time winningest pitcher?
Washington Nationals
San Diego Padres
Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Eric Show is the all-time leader in wins for the San Diego Padres with 100. He was on the team for the very first time the Padres played in a World Series. He unfortunately passed away in 1994 at the age of 37, only a few years after his MLB career.

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29 Walter Johnson
International News via Youtube
Walter Johnson had an astonishing 417 wins for which MLB franchise?
Minnesota Twins
Toronto Blue Jays
Seattle Mariners
Oakland Athletics
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

During his career, Walter Johnson won 417 games, which is the second-most of any pitcher. He won them all for the Washington Senators from 1907 to 1927. That team would ultimately go on to become the modern-day Minnesota Twins.

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7 Joe Niekro
MLB via Youtube
Joe Nierko has 144 wins and the title of the winningest pitcher for which AL team?
Houston Astros
Tampa Bay Rays
Detroit Tigers
Minnesota Twins
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The team Nierko holds the record of most wins for is the Houston Astros. He won 144, which is actually only one more than the man in second place, Roy Oswalt. Nierko played for six other teams during his 20+ year career.

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17 Christy Mathewson
Charles M. Conlon via WikiCommons
Often seen as one of the most dominant pitchers of all time, Christy Mathewson won 372 wins with which team?
Cleveland Indians
Cincinnati Reds
Detroit Tigers
San Francisco Giants
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mathewson spent most of his career with the Giants franchise, winning 372 games for the team. He only lost 188 during his time there and is among the MLB leaders in ERA and shutouts, as well.

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What team has Charlie Root as their all-time leader in pitcher wins?
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Los Angeles Angels
Texas Rangers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Charlie Root is the all-time winningest pitcher in the history of the Chicago Cubs. He recorded 201 wins for the team, while also being the all-time leader in innings pitched and games played.

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You Got:
/30
Charles M. Conlon via WikiCommons