Pitcher seasons: many wins, few losses. No complete games: Roger Clemens, Roy Face. Tony Gonsolin?

Let's start with an oddity:

https://stathead.com/tiny/d4dNl

For single seasons, since 1903, in the regular season, requiring Complete Games = 0 and Wins >= 20, sorted by ascending Season.

Rk	Player	W	CG	Season	Age	Team	Lg	W	L	W-L%	Dec	ERA	G	GS	IP	BB	SO	ERA+	HR9	SO9	SO/BB
1	Roger Clemens	20	0	2001	38	NYY	AL	20	3	.870	23	3.51	33	33	220.1	72	213	128	0.8	8.7	2.96
2	Mike Mussina	20	0	2008	39	NYY	AL	20	9	.690	29	3.37	34	34	200.1	31	150	131	0.8	6.7	4.84
3	Max Scherzer	21	0	2013	28	DET	AL	21	3	.875	24	2.90	32	32	214.1	56	240	144	0.8	10.1	4.29
4	J.A. Happ	20	0	2016	33	TOR	AL	20	4	.833	24	3.18	32	32	195.0	60	163	134	1.0	7.5	2.72
5	Blake Snell	21	0	2018	25	TBR	AL	21	5	.808	26	1.89	31	31	180.2	64	221	217	0.8	11.0	3.45
6	Gerrit Cole	20	0	2019	28	HOU	AL	20	5	.800	25	2.50	33	33	212.1	48	326	185	1.2	13.8	6.79
7	Julio Urías	20	0	2021	24	LAD	NL	20	3	.870	23	2.96	32	32	185.2	38	195	143	0.9	9.5	5.13
8	Kyle Wright	21	0	2022	26	ATL	NL	21	5	.808	26	3.19	30	30	180.1	53	174	128	0.9	8.7	3.28
9	Spencer Strider	20	0	2023	24	ATL	NL	20	5	.800	25	3.86	32	32	186.2	58	281	113	1.1	13.5	4.84

Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 3/12/2025.

Wright? Strider?

Clemens was 20-1 in early September 2001 but lost his final two decisions. He has a chance to set the record for Winning average: 20-1 = .952. So which pitchers had really high Winning averages? The leader did not start any games.

https://stathead.com/tiny/XOSta

For single seasons, since 1903, Playing in the AL or NL, in the regular season, requiring Decisions >= 15 and Win-Loss % >= .85, sorted by descending Win-Loss %.

Rk	Player	W-L%	Dec	Season	Age	Team	Lg	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	BB	SO	BF	ERA+	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/BB
1	Roy Face	.947	19	1959	31	PIT	NL	18	1	2.70	57	0	0	0	10	93.1	25	69	380	142	0.5	2.4	6.7	2.76
2	Tony Gonsolin	.941	17	2022	28	LAD	NL	16	1	2.14	24	24	0	0	0	130.1	35	119	498	188	0.8	2.4	8.2	3.40
3	Johnny Allen	.938	16	1937	32	CLE	AL	15	1	2.55	24	20	14	0	0	173.0	60	87	713	176	0.2	3.1	4.5	1.45
4	Phil Regan	.933	15	1966	29	LAD	NL	14	1	1.62	65	0	0	0	21	116.2	24	88	445	203	0.5	1.9	6.8	3.67
5	Greg Maddux	.905	21	1995	29	ATL	NL	19	2	1.63	28	28	10	3	0	209.2	23	181	785	260	0.3	1.0	7.8	7.87
6	Randy Johnson	.900	20	1995	31	SEA	AL	18	2	2.48	30	30	6	3	0	214.1	65	294	866	193	0.5	2.7	12.3	4.52
7	Ron Guidry	.893	28	1978	27	NYY	AL	25	3	1.74	35	35	16	9	0	273.2	72	248	1057	208	0.4	2.4	8.2	3.44
8	Freddie Fitzsimmons	.889	18	1940	38	BRO	NL	16	2	2.81	20	18	11	4	1	134.1	25	35	543	144	0.3	1.7	2.3	1.40
9	Lefty Grove	.886	35	1931	31	PHA	AL	31	4	2.06	41	30	27	4	5	288.2	62	175	1160	217	0.3	1.9	5.5	2.82
10	Aaron Sanchez	.882	17	2016	23	TOR	AL	15	2	3.00	30	30	0	0	0	192.0	63	161	790	142	0.7	3.0	7.5	2.56
11	Bob Stanley	.882	17	1978	23	BOS	AL	15	2	2.60	52	3	0	0	10	141.2	34	38	578	160	0.3	2.2	2.4	1.12
12	Cliff Lee	.880	25	2008	29	CLE	AL	22	3	2.54	31	31	4	2	0	223.1	34	170	891	167	0.5	1.4	6.9	5.00
13	Preacher Roe	.880	25	1951	35	BRO	NL	22	3	3.04	34	33	19	2	0	257.2	64	113	1031	129	1.0	2.2	3.9	1.77
14	Ron Davis	.875	16	1979	23	NYY	AL	14	2	2.85	44	0	0	0	9	85.1	28	43	357	143	0.5	3.0	4.5	1.54
15	Clayton Kershaw	.875	24	2014	26	LAD	NL	21	3	1.77	27	27	6	2	0	198.1	31	239	749	197	0.4	1.4	10.8	7.71
Rk	Player	W-L%	Dec	Season	Age	Team	Lg	W	L	ERA	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	BB	SO	BF	ERA+	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/BB
16	Deacon Phillippe	.875	16	1910	38	PIT	NL	14	2	2.29	31	8	5	1	4	121.2	9	30	477	138	0.3	0.7	2.2	3.33
17	Max Scherzer	.875	24	2013	28	DET	AL	21	3	2.90	32	32	0	0	0	214.1	56	240	836	144	0.8	2.4	10.1	4.29
18	Tom Seaver	.875	16	1981	36	CIN	NL	14	2	2.54	23	23	6	1	0	166.1	66	87	671	140	0.5	3.6	4.7	1.32
19	Smoky Joe Wood	.872	39	1912	22	BOS	AL	34	5	1.91	43	38	35	10	1	344.0	82	258	1328	177	0.1	2.1	6.8	3.15
20	Roger Clemens	.870	23	2001	38	NYY	AL	20	3	3.51	33	33	0	0	0	220.1	72	213	918	128	0.8	2.9	8.7	2.96
21	David Cone	.870	23	1988	25	NYM	NL	20	3	2.22	35	28	8	4	0	231.1	80	213	936	145	0.4	3.1	8.3	2.66
22	Julio Urías	.870	23	2021	24	LAD	NL	20	3	2.96	32	32	0	0	0	185.2	38	195	745	143	0.9	1.8	9.5	5.13
23	Roger Moret	.867	15	1973	23	BOS	AL	13	2	3.17	30	15	5	2	3	156.1	67	90	659	127	1.1	3.9	5.2	1.34
24	Brad Peacock	.867	15	2017	29	HOU	AL	13	2	3.00	34	21	0	0	0	132.0	57	161	546	136	0.7	3.9	11.0	2.82
25	Zack Greinke	.864	22	2015	31	LAD	NL	19	3	1.66	32	32	1	0	0	222.2	40	200	843	222	0.6	1.6	8.1	5.00
26	Orel Hershiser	.864	22	1985	26	LAD	NL	19	3	2.03	36	34	9	5	0	239.2	68	157	953	171	0.3	2.6	5.9	2.31
27	Bill Donovan	.862	29	1907	30	DET	AL	25	4	2.19	32	28	27	3	1	271.0	82	123	1073	118	0.1	2.7	4.1	1.50
28	Whitey Ford	.862	29	1961	32	NYY	AL	25	4	3.21	39	39	11	3	0	283.0	92	209	1159	115	0.7	2.9	6.6	2.27
29	Roger Clemens	.857	28	1986	23	BOS	AL	24	4	2.48	33	33	10	1	0	254.0	67	238	997	169	0.7	2.4	8.4	3.55
30	Dwight Gooden	.857	28	1985	20	NYM	NL	24	4	1.53	35	35	16	8	0	276.2	69	268	1065	229	0.4	2.2	8.7	3.88
31	Daisuke Matsuzaka	.857	21	2008	27	BOS	AL	18	3	2.90	29	29	0	0	0	167.2	94	154	716	160	0.6	5.0	8.3	1.64
32	Chris Sale	.857	21	2024	35	ATL	NL	18	3	2.38	29	29	0	0	0	177.2	39	225	702	174	0.5	2.0	11.4	5.77
33	Pedro Martínez	.852	27	1999	27	BOS	AL	23	4	2.07	31	29	5	1	0	213.1	37	313	835	243	0.4	1.6	13.2	8.46
34	Charles Bender	.850	20	1914	30	PHA	AL	17	3	2.26	28	23	14	7	2	179.0	55	107	718	115	0.2	2.8	5.4	1.95
35	John Smoltz	.850	20	1998	31	ATL	NL	17	3	2.90	26	26	2	2	0	167.2	44	173	681	144	0.5	2.4	9.3	3.93

Provided by Stathead.com: Found with Stathead. See Full Results.
Generated 3/12/2025.