Editing Games pitched

{{short description|Baseball statistic}}
[[File:Jesse orosco.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jesse Orosco]] is the career leader in games pitched among [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) players.]]
In [[baseball statistics]], '''games pitched''' (denoted by Games '''G''' in tables of only pitching statistics) is the number of games in which a player appears as a [[pitcher]]. The statistic is also referred to as '''appearances''', especially to refer to the number of games a [[relief pitcher]] has pitched in.

Normally, a pitcher must [[batters faced|face]] at least one batter (or three batters in some relief situations), but exceptions are made in the case of injury.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/three-batter-minimum |title=Three Batter Minimum |website=MLB.com |accessdate=April 26, 2023}}</ref> A notable example was [[Larry Yount]], who suffered an injury while throwing warmup pitches after being summoned as a reliever in a [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) game on September 15, 1971.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/20566686/astros_rookie_in_brief_stint/ |title=Astros' Rookie in 'Brief' Stint |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[Odessa American]] |location=[[Odessa, Texas]] |page=1-B |date=September 16, 1971 |access-date=May 31, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> He did not face a batter, but was credited with an appearance because he had been announced as a substitute.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1971/B09150HOU1971.htm |title=Atlanta Braves 4, Houston Astros 2 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=September 15, 1971 |access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> Yount never appeared in (or actually played in) any other MLB game.

==Major League Baseball career leaders==
Listed below are all MLB players with at least 1,000 games pitched.<ref name=BRlist>{{cite web | title=Career Leaders & Records for Games Played |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |publisher=Sports Reference LLC |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/G_p_career.shtml |access-date=April 26, 2023}}</ref> The first player to reach the mark was [[Hoyt Wilhelm]], in May 1970.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123558848/number-1000/ |title=Number 1,000 |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[The Greenville News]] |location=[[Greenville, South Carolina]] |page=10 |date=May 11, 1970 |accessdate=April 26, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> [[LaTroy Hawkins]] is the most recent player to reach the mark, having achieved it in September 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/123558708/dodgers-enjoy-a-little-rr/ |title=Dodgers enjoy a little R&R |first=Kevin |last=Baxter |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |page=C5 |date=September 28, 2014 |accessdate=April 26, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> {{asof|2025|4}}, no active player has reached the milestone; [[Kenley Jansen]] leads active players, with over 870 games pitched.<ref name=BRlist/>

{| class="wikitable"
|+Key
!Pitcher
|Name of the pitcher
|-
!Appearances
|Career games pitched in MLB
|-
!MLB seasons
|The seasons the pitcher played in the major leagues
|-
! style="background:#ffb;"|{{dagger}}
|Elected to the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]]
|-
! style="background:#cfecec;"|{{double-dagger}}
|Denotes a pitcher who is still active
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="width:50%; text-align:center"
|+Players with 1,000 or more games pitched
|-
! rowspan=2|Pitcher
! rowspan=2|Appearances
! colspan=2|MLB seasons
|-
! First
! Last
|-
| {{sortname|Jesse|Orosco}}
|1,252
|1979||2003
|-
| {{sortname|Mike|Stanton|Mike Stanton (left-handed pitcher)}}
|1,178
|1989||2007
|-
| {{sortname|John|Franco}}
|1,119
|1984||2005
|-
| style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Mariano|Rivera}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
|1,115
|1995||2013
|-
| style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Dennis|Eckersley}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
|1,071
|1975||1998
|-
| style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Hoyt|Wilhelm}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
|1,070
|1952||1972
|-
| {{sortname|Dan|Plesac}}
|1,064
|1986||2003
|-
| {{sortname|Mike|Timlin}}
|1,058
|1991||2008
|-
| {{sortname|Kent|Tekulve}}
|1,050	
|1974||1989
|-
| {{sortname|LaTroy|Hawkins}}
|1,042
|1995||2015
|-
| style="background:#ffb;" |{{sortname|Trevor|Hoffman}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
|1,035
|1993||2010
|-
| {{sortname|José|Mesa}}
|1,022
|1987||2007
|-
| style="background:#ffb;" |{{sortname|Lee|Smith|Lee Smith (baseball)}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
|1,022
|1980||1997
|-
| {{sortname|Roberto|Hernández|Roberto Hernández (baseball, born 1964)}}
|1,010
|1991||2007
|-
| {{sortname|Mike|Jackson|Mike Jackson (right-handed pitcher)}}
|1,005
|1986||2004
|-
| style="background:#ffb;"|{{sortname|Goose|Gossage}}{{sup|{{dagger}}}}
|1,002
|1972||1994
|}

==See also==
*[[Games started]]
*[[Games finished]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Pitching statistics]]