A few days ago, the Los Angeles Angels DFA’d 37-year-old Johnny Cueto after he shook and shimmed his way through two starts, during which he surrendered nine runs in 11 1/3 innings. The 17-year veteran, who is in the last days of a brilliant career, is fifth on the active wins list with 144, which highlights how we are witnessing in real time the end of an era and the last days of the 200 win species.
In major league history, 132 pitchers have won 200 or more games, just 68 of which debuted after 1950. 266 have reached the 150-win mark and only 24 have reached the 300-win plateau. 98 pitchers sit between 200-299 wins. Four have exactly 200, which includes Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright, who finished their careers in 2021 and 2023 respectively.
To show how wins have been deemphasized in recent times for starting pitchers, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw and Gerrit Cole, who just won his 150th game, are the only other active hurlers at or above 150. The other three have surpassed 200 victories for their careers but they are all still chasing wins and more importantly good health.
The 41-year-old Verlander is tops among active pitchers with 260 wins. The three-time Cy Young award winner began the season on the injured list with shoulder discomfort and made just ten starts before heading back on the shelf with a neck issue. He hasn’t been his usual dominant self, recording a pedestrian 3-5 record and 4.52 ERA across 13 starts.
Verlander’s $35 million vesting player option for next season wouldn’t kick in thanks to not sniffing the 140 innings needed. The Virginia native has previously said that he hopes to pitch into his mid-40s, but for now he’s hoping to help the Astros return to October glory after returning to Houston’s rotation two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, Scherzer and his 216 wins, has endured another injury plagued season. The 40-year-old underwent back surgery in the winter and was further delayed in making his 2024 debut because of a nerve issue. The workmanlike righty was 2-4 in just 39 1/3 innings and eight starts before hitting the disabled list last month with right shoulder fatigue.
The three-time Cy Young winner is heading to Las Vegas to make a rehab start with Triple-A Round Rock this weekend. The pending free again told reporters last month that he plans on pitching in 2025, but it has become a real question as to if his body can withstand the grind of the long MLB season.
After missing the first four months of the season, Kershaw is once again out of commission with a bone spur in his left toe. The forever Dodger returned in late July after undergoing his first ever shoulder surgery in the off-season when doctors repaired his glenohumeral ligaments and capsule. With a fastball barely touching 90 MPH, the 36-year-old has gritted and grinded his way to a 2-2 record over seven starts with a 4.50 ERA.
Recent years have seen the 212-game winner hit the disabled list a whopping thirteen times since 2018. It was thought the ten-time All-Star would retire when he walked off the mound last October after being shelled for 6 runs while recording just one out against Arizona. The Texas native re-upped with the Dodgers for a 17th season and it remains to be seen if he can make it back in time for the Dodgers playoff push.
They might not be gone long, but the days of bulldogs like Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine and Randy Johnson winning 300 plus games are long over. 300-wins has long been the gold standard for a Hall of Fame career, but the gatekeepers of Cooperstown will have to dramatically recalibrate their expectations regarding what makes a Hall of Fame pitcher.
To put things in perspective, Jose Berrios of the Blue Jays, has 97 career wins, which makes him the active leader for 30 and under pitchers. Sixth on the active wins list is longtime Cardinal Lance Lynn, who has 142. Then Charlie Morton with 137 and Chris Sale with 136. The top ten is rounded out by Kyle Gibson (112), Carlos Carrasco and Sonny Gray (110).
The only current starter with a chance to reach the 200-win mark is Cole. The 33-year-old is coming off a Cy Young 2023 campaign and he’s just rounding into form after not making his season debut until June 19th because of shoulder tendinitis. He has a 6-3 record and 3.65 ERA in 13 starts. He’s under contract through 2028 with the Yankees and would have to average 12 wins per season to reach the milestone before the end of his current contract.
In an era when starting pitching is getting devalued by a combination of less usage and rise in arm injuries, victories are harder than ever to come by. But there will always be something that stands out about the win.