300-game winners in MLB history

Winning 300 career games as a Major League pitcher is a rare accomplishment, and the 300-win club is one of the most exclusive in MLB history.

Here's a look at each pitcher who has ever won at least 300 games in his career:

Randy Johnson: June 4, 2009
Career total: 303
All-time rank: 22nd
Years played: 1988-2009
Johnson was one of the most intimidating presences on a pitcher's mound in baseball history. Standing 6-foot-10, the lanky left-hander threw a fastball that regularly reached 100 mph, to go along with a devastating slider. Though wild early on in his career, the "Big Unit" harnessed his velocity and improved his control, leading to five Cy Young Awards, two no-hitters (including a perfect game), 10 All-Star selections and 4,875 strikeouts, ranked second all-time to Ryan, and most among southpaws in MLB history.

Drafted and developed by the Expos, Johnson's star rose with the Mariners in the mid-1990s, and by the end of the decade he was the most dominant left-hander in the game. Johnson led a 1-2 punch in the D-backs' rotation at the turn of the century, overpowering hitters along with right-hander Curt Schilling. The pair led Arizona to its first World Series championship in seven games over the Yankees in 2001, and the two were named co-MVPs of the Series. In Game 7, Schilling started and Johnson came on in relief in the eighth inning, holding the Yankees scoreless over 1 1/3 innings as Arizona came back to win the game in the bottom of the ninth on a Luis Gonzalez broken-bat single against closer Mariano Rivera.

Johnson posted a 1.04 ERA over 17 1/3 innings during that World Series. From 1999-2003, he won four consecutive Cy Young Awards with Arizona. Over a 22-year career, during which he also pitched for the Astros, Yankees and Giants -- with whom he won his 300th game in 2009 -- Johnson led his league in ERA four times, and strikeouts nine times, including 2001, in which he neared Ryan's record of 383 strikeouts by fanning 372 batters. Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Tom Glavine: Aug. 6, 2007
Career total: 305
All-time rank: 21st
Years played: 1987-2008
Glavine won two Cy Young Awards (1991, 1998), resulting in a Braves pitcher winning the honor in six of eight years in that span (including Greg Maddux's four awards from 1992-95). Glavine was a 10-time All-Star and the MVP of the 1995 World Series, in which the left-hander gave up two runs over 14 innings (1.29 ERA) across two starts against the Indians, including eight scoreless innings in Atlanta's Series-clinching victory in Game 5.

Overall, Glavine posted a 3.30 ERA in 35 career postseason starts (218 1/3 innings). His ERA over 22 big league seasons was 3.54, and he is the last pitcher to have won 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons (1991-93). Following 16 seasons with the Braves, he spent five with the Mets before returning to Atlanta for his final season in 2008. It was with New York in 2007 that Glavine won his 300th game. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Maddux and his longtime manager with the Braves, Bobby Cox, in 2014.

Greg Maddux: Aug. 7, 2004
Career total: 355
All-time rank: 8th
Years played: 1986-2008

Maddux was the NL's most dominant pitcher in the 1990s, winning four consecutive Cy Young Awards from 1992-95 for the Braves. Heading one of the greatest starting rotations in MLB history, which included fellow future Hall of Famers Tom Glavine and John Smoltz, the Braves won the NL East title in 10 of the 11 seasons Maddux pitched for them, with the lone excpetion being the strike-shortened 1994 campaign. In '95, Maddux helped lead the Braves to the franchise's first World Series title since moving to Atlanta, going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two starts against the Indians.

Maddux baffled opposing hitters not with overpowering velocity, but with pinpoint command. The right-hander was an eight-time All-Star, and also an elite defensive player, winning 18 Gold Glove Awards in 23 Major League seasons. He opened his career with the Cubs, with whom he won his first Cy Young Award in 1992. Following his Braves career, he pitched again for the Cubs, then the Dodgers and Padres, picking up his 300th career victory with Chicago in 2004. Maddux is ranked eighth on the all-time wins list and 10th on the all-time strikeouts list (3,371). His 355 wins are the most for any pitcher who began his career after 1942 (Warren Spahn's first year). In 2014, Maddux was elected to the Hall of Fame with 97.2 percent of the BBWAA vote.

Roger Clemens: June 13, 2003
Career total: 354
All-time rank: 9th
Years played: 1984-2007

Clemens set a record with seven Cy Young Awards over a 24-year career that also included the 1986 AL MVP Award and 11 All-Star selections. The right-hander led his league in ERA seven times and made 34 postseason starts (35 appearances overall). He posted a 3.75 ERA in 199 postseason innings, winning World Series titles with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000.

With 4,672 career strikeouts, Clemens is third all-time behind Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson. Clemens actually recorded his 4,000th strikeout in the same game he won for his 300th victory, starting for the Yankees on June 13, 2003 vs. the Cardinals. Aside from his six seasons with the Yankees, Clemens pitched for the Red Sox from 1984-96, the Blue Jays from 1997-98, and the Astros from 2004-06. He won 20 games in a season six times, and at the time of his last Major League victory, Clemens' 354 career wins were the most of any pitcher since Warren Spahn. Greg Maddux would end up winning one more game than Clemens.

Nolan Ryan: July 31, 1990
Career total: 324
All-time rank: T-14th
Years played: 1966-1993

The all-time strikeout king (5,714) pitched in 27 Major League seasons, setting the standard for pitcher durability not only by taking the mound from age 19 to 46, but also dominating over that span. The hard-throwing right-hander tossed a record seven no-hitters, led his league in strikeouts 11 times, including in 1973, when he set a modern era record with 383 strikeouts.

Nicknamed the "Ryan Express," the right-hander pitched in parts of four decades for the Mets, Angels, Astros and Rangers. He was an eight-time All-Star and though he only appeared in one World Series (a 2 1/3-inning save in Game 3 of the 1969 World Series for the Mets), he posted a 3.07 ERA with 63 strikeouts and 14 walks over 58 2/3 postseason innings. Ryan was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999 with what was then the second-highest vote percentage ever (98.79 percent on the BBWAA ballot, second to former teammate Tom Seaver's 98.84 percent). Ken Griffey Jr. received 99.31 percent of the vote in 2016.

Don Sutton: June 18, 1986
Career total: 324
All-time rank: T-14th
Years played: 1966-1988

Sutton only had one 20-win season (1976 with the Dodgers) but he had 12 seasons in which he won 15 or more games. Over a 23-year-career, the right-hander was as dependable as they came for the Dodgers, Astros, Brewers, A's and Angels. He finished with a career 3.26 ERA and was a four-time All-Star. Sutton pitched in four World Series (for the Dodgers in 1974, '77 and '78, and the Brewers in 1982), though none of his teams won a title. Overall, he posted a 3.68 ERA in 15 postseason appearances (14 starts). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.

Phil Niekro: Oct. 6, 1985
Career total: 318
All-time rank: 16th
Years played: 1964-1987

Niekro's knuckleball confounded hitters in three different decades, with the right-hander beginning his Major League career in 1967 and not retiring until his age-48 season in 1987. He was not only a great pitcher, but a great fielder, winning five Gold Glove Awards in addition to being named an All-Star five times. He won 20 games in a season three times, including in 1979, when he led the NL in both wins (21) and losses (20). Niekro tossed more than 300 innings in a season four times, with a career-high 342 in '79. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

Tom Seaver: Aug. 4, 1985
Career total: 311
All-time rank: 18th
Years played: 1967-1986

Seaver was the 1967 Rookie of the Year with the Mets, and won the first of three Cy Young Awards two seasons later. He was a 20-game winner five times, led the league in strikeouts five times, and ERA three times. The right-hander was a 12-time All-Star over a 20-year career during which he posted a 2.86 ERA. He pitched in two World Series, both with the Mets, in 1969 and '73.

In the 1969 World Series against the Orioles, Seaver helped the "Miracle Mets" win the first World Series title in franchise history by going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts, winning Game 4 with a 10-inning complete game in which he surrendered one run on six hits, walking two and striking out six. Though New York lost both games Seaver started in the '73 Series against the A's, he pitched well, giving up four runs in 15 innings (2.40 ERA) while striking out 18 and walking three.

Seaver went on to pitch for the Reds (1977-1982), the Mets again (1983), White Sox (1984-86) and Red Sox ('86).

Although he won his 300th game in a White Sox uniform, he did it in the city where he became a star, tossing a complete-game gem at Yankee Stadium.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Steve Carlton: Sept. 23, 1983
Career total: 329
All-time rank: 11th
Years played: 1965-1988

Carlton became the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards when he won it for the fourth time in 1982 with the Phillies. He is also fourth on the all-time strikeout list (4,186) behind Nolan Ryan (5,714), Randy Johnson (4,875) and Roger Clemens (4,672). Carlton began his Major League career with the Cardinals, for whom he pitched from 1965-71. He was a three-time All-Star over that span (a 10-time All-Star overall), but his best years came with Philadelphia, where he pitched from 1972-86.

Carlton pitched in four World Series in his career, the first two coming as a teammate of Bob Gibson on the 1968-69 Cardinals, and the other two coming in 1980 and '83 with the Phillies. He helped the Phillies win their first World Series title in '80 by winning both of his starts with a 2.40 ERA against the Royals. Carlton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.

Gaylord Perry: May 6, 1982
Career total: 314
All-time rank: 19th
Years played: 1962-1983

Over a 22-season career that included a Cy Young Award in each league (1972 with the Indians and 1978 with the Padres), Perry had a knack for being effective even into his mid-40s. The crafty right-hander won 20 or more games in a season four times, for three different teams in the Giants, Indians and Padres. He was a five-time All-Star, also pitching for the Rangers, Yankees, Braves, Mariners and Royals. Perry was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Early Wynn: July 13, 1963
Career total: 300
All-time rank: T-23rd
Years played: 1939-1963

Wynn pitched more seasons (23) than any pitcher in AL history. The right-hander pitched for the Senators, Indians and White Sox, winning 20 games in a season five times. He was a nine-time All-Star and the 1959 AL Cy Young Award winner at age 39. Wynn pitched in two World Series, one in 1954 for the Indians, and one in '59 for the White Sox. Overall, he made four World Series starts, going 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA. Wynn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972.

Warren Spahn: Aug. 11, 1961
Career total: 363
All-time rank: 6th
Years played: 1942-1965

Despite missing three seasons from 1943-45 serving during World War II, Spahn racked up the sixth-most wins in baseball history, and the most for any left-hander. He appeared in four games for the Boston Braves as a 21-year-old in 1942 before heading off to war. After earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service overseas, Spahn returned to the Braves and began a dominant run as one of the best pitchers in baseball during the 1950s.

During a career that stretched into 1965, when Spahn was 44 years old, he posted a 3.09 ERA, leading the league three times in that category. He won 20 games in a season 13 times, the last of which was at age 42 in 1963. He was also the 1957 NL Cy Young Award winner, and he finished as runner-up in Cy Young voting in 1958, '60 and '61. Spahn was a 17-time All-Star, and pitched in three World Series for the Braves, in 1948 for Boston and in 1957 and '58 for Milwaukee. In eight career World Series appearances (six starts), he was 4-3 with a 3.05 ERA. Spahn was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973.

Lefty Grove: July 25, 1941
Career total: 300
All-time rank: T-23rd
Years played: 1925-1941

Grove is considered one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all-time. Pitching for the Philadelphia Athletics, he led the AL in strikeouts in each of his first seven seasons in the league. During a 17-year career, he also led the AL in ERA nine times, and was the 1931 AL MVP. He helped lead the Athletics to the World Series in three consecutive years from 1929-31, winning in '29 and '30 over the Cubs and Cardinals. Overall, Grove was 4-2 with a 1.75 ERA in five World Series appearances (three starts).

Following nine seasons with the Athleteics, Grove would pitch eight more with the Red Sox, being selected as an All-Star five times in that span (he was a six-time All-Star overall after the first All-Star Game was played in 1933). Grove was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947.

Grover Cleveland Alexander: Sept. 20, 1924
Career total: 373
All-time rank: T-3rd
Years played: 1911-1930

Named after the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, Alexander's 373 career wins ranks him third all-time behind Young and Johnson, and first in NL history. His 90 career shutouts are also an NL record. The right-hander spent his entire 20-year career in the NL, pitching for the Phillies, Cubs and Cardinals. He led Philadelphia to its first pennant in 1915, going 1-1 with a 1.53 ERA in two World Series starts, though the Phillies lost in five games to the Red Sox.

Alexander wouldn't reach another World Series until 11 years later with the Cardinals, though he was a huge factor in St. Louis' seven-game victory over the Yankees. The 39-year-old came into Game 7 with the bases loaded, two outs, and the Cardinals leading, 3-2. He struck out Yankees slugger Tony Lazzeri, and proceeded to hold New York scoreless over the final two frames to seal the title for St. Louis. The only baserunner he allowed was Babe Ruth, whom he walked. The Series ended when Ruth was caught trying to steal second base with two outs in the ninth inning. Alexander was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1938.

Walter Johnson: May 14, 1920
Career total: 417
All-time rank: 2nd
Years played: 1907-1927

Johnson was the game's most dominant pitcher in the 1910s, with a trademark sidearm delivery and blazing fastball that overpowered hitters throughout a 21-year Major League career, spent entirely with the Washington Senators. Johnson's 417 wins are second all-time only to Young. He was a two-time AL Most Valuable Player, becoming the first pitcher to win the award in 1913, and winning it again 11 years later. Johnson also led the league in ERA five times, finishing with a career mark of 2.17.

Johnson holds the all-time record for shutouts, with 110, 20 more than Grover Cleveland Alexander, who is second on the list. Johnson pitched in two World Series with the Senators, who won the championship in 1924 but fell short the next year. In six career World Series appearances (five starts), he was 3-3 with a 2.52 ERA. He completed all five World Series games he started. Johnson was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the inaugural class in 1936.

Eddie Plank: Sept. 11, 1915
Career total: 326
All-time rank: 13th
Years played: 1901-1917
Plank was the first southpaw to join the 300-win club. His records for most complete games (410) and shutouts (69) by a left-handed pitcher stand to this day. Plank was a key member of Connie Mack's Philadelphia Athletics dynasty from 1910-14, during which the club won five consecutive pennants and three World Series titles. Though his World Series record was 2-5, he had a 1.32 ERA in seven appearances (six starts). Plank finished his 17-season career with 326 wins and a 2.35 ERA. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Old-Timers Committee in 1946.

Christy Mathewson: June 13, 1912
Career total: 373
All-time rank: T-3rd
Years played: 1900-1916
Mathewson won 20 games every year from 1903-14 for John McGraw's New York Giants. He finished with 373 wins over 17 seasons, third all-time behind Cy Young (511) and Walter Johnson (417). He led the NL in ERA five times, finishing with a career ERA of 2.13. The right-hander appeared in four World Series for the Giants, posting a 0.97 ERA in 11 starts (5-5 record). The Giants won one of those series, in 1905 against the Philadelphia Athletics in five games. Mathewson tragically died at age 45 as a result of poison gas he was exposed to as a soldier during World War I. He was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of its first class in 1936.

Cy Young: July 12, 1901
Career total: 511
All-time rank: 1st
Years played: 1890-1911
Denton True Young was nicknamed "Cy" as short for "Cyclone," referring to the speed of his fastball as he dominated against hitters at the end of the 19th century and into the 20th. Young holds all-time records for wins (511), losses (316) and innings pitched (7,356). Young led the NL in wins twice and the American League three times. The right-hander pitched for the NL's Cleveland Spiders from 1890-98, the St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals from 1899-1900, the Boston Americans/Red Sox of the AL from 1901-08, the Cleveland Naps from 1909-10, and both the Naps and the Boston Rustlers in 1911.

Young threw the first pitch of the first NL-AL World Series in 1903 between the Boston Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates. He went 2-1 with a 1.85 ERA in four appearances (three starts) in the Series, which Boston won in eight games (the World Series was a best-of-nine affair until 1905, when it was converted to best-of-seven). Young was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937 by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, and his induction ceremony was held in 1939. The award for each league's best pitcher was named the Cy Young Award in his honor, the first such award being handed out in 1956.

Kid Nichols: July 7, 1900
Career total: 361
All-time rank: 7th
Years played: 1890-1906
Nichols led the NL in wins each year from 1896-98, winning 30, 31 and 31 games, respectively, for the Boston Beaneaters. In all, he would win 361 games over 15 seasons -- also pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies -- with a career 2.96 ERA. The right-hander was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Old-Timers Committee in 1949, the first 300-win-club member to be inducted at Cooperstown while still living.

John Clarkson: Sept. 21, 1892
Career total: 328
All-time rank: 12th
Years played: 1882-1894
Clarkson reached the 300-win mark in relatively short order, doing so in just a dozen Major League seasons. En route to winning 328 career games, he posted single-season win totals of 53 (1885 for the Chicago White Stockings), 38 (1887 for the White Stockings) and 49 (1889 for the Boston Beaneaters). The right-hander completed 50 or more games in each season from 1885 to 1889, bookending that stretch with 68 complete games in both '85 and '89. He also pitched for the Worcester Ruby Legs (three starts as a rookie) and the Cleveland Spiders (1892 to the end of his career in 1894). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1963.

Charley Radbourn: June 2, 1891
Career total: 309
All-time rank: 19th
Years played: 1881-1891
Radbourn, nicknamed "Old Hoss," won 309 games in just 11 seasons, thanks in large part to his incredible run of 107 wins from 1883-84, including an MLB-record 59 wins in '84 for the Providence Grays. In that '84 season, he posted an NL-best 1.38 ERA in a whopping 678 2/3 innings. It was the second consecutive season in which the right-hander threw more than 600 innings, tossing 632 1/3 in '83, when he posted a 2.05 ERA. Radbourn also pitched for the Boston Beaneaters and Cincinnati Reds. He was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Old-Timers Committee in 1939.

Mickey Welch: July 28, 1890
Career total: 307
All-time rank: 20th
Years played: 1880-1892
Welch never led the league in any major pitching categories, even though he won 307 career games, including 44 for the New York Giants in 1885 (finishing second in the wins category to John Clarkson, who won 53). Ironically, the right-hander did lead the league in walks each year from 1884-86. He nevertheless won 116 games and posted a 2.39 ERA over that span. Welch, who also pitched for the Troy Trojans, was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1973.

Tim Keefe: June 4, 1890
Career total: 342
All-time rank: 10th
Years played: 1880-1893
Keefe won 342 games with a 2.63 ERA over 14 Major League seasons. He pitched for Troy, the New York Metropolitans/Giants and Philadelphia Phillies The right-hander led the National League in ERA three times (0.86 in 1880, 1.58 in 1885, and 1.74 in 1888). He also led the league in wins twice -- he won 42 games in 1886, and 35 in '88. He completed more than 50 games in a season four times -- 68 in 1883 (619 innings pitched), 56 in '84, 62 in '86, and 54 in '87. Keefe was inducted into the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1964.

Pud Galvin: Oct. 5, 1888
Career total: 365
All-time rank: 5th
Years played: 1875-1892
Galvin supposedly earned the nickname "Pud" because he made hitters look like pudding when facing him. He pitched in an era when two-man rotations were common, and completed 143 games (winning 92 of them) from 1883-84. The right-hander finished his career with 365 wins and 310 losses over 15 seasons spent with the St. Louis Brown Stockings, Buffalo Bisons, Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Burghers and St. Louis Browns, posting a 2.85 ERA. Galvin pitched 6,003 1/3 innings in his career, and completed 646 games, both second only to Cy Young's 7,356 innings and 749 complete games. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee in 1965.