Alright, let’s talk about something I spent a bit of time figuring out recently just by watching games and trying to connect the dots: how baseball pitchers actually get credited with a win. It seems straightforward, but sometimes you see a guy pitch great and not get it, or a reliever throws like two pitches and gets the W. So, I dug into it a bit, well, more like paid closer attention.
Starting Pitchers First
Okay, so the guy who starts the game, the starting pitcher, has a few boxes he needs to check off. This is what I pieced together:
- First off, he’s gotta pitch at least five complete innings. Not four and two-thirds, but five full innings. That seemed like the first big hurdle I noticed.
- Second, when he leaves the game, whether it’s after five innings or eight, his team has to be in the lead. If the score is tied, or they’re behind, he can’t get the win.
- And here’s the kicker I realized: that lead has to hold up for the entire rest of the game. If the bullpen comes in and gives up the lead later, even if the team eventually wins, that starter doesn’t get the win anymore. It’s gotta be a lead they never lose after he leaves.
I saw this happen just the other day. Starter went six strong innings, left with a 3-1 lead. The bullpen kept the lead, game ended 3-2. Yep, he got the win. Made sense.
What About Relief Pitchers?
This is where it got a little fuzzier for me initially. What happens if the starter doesn’t qualify (doesn’t pitch 5 innings, or leaves with the score tied)? Or if the starter leaves with the lead, but the bullpen blows it, and then the team takes the lead again later?
Here’s what I observed: Generally, the win goes to the relief pitcher who was the pitcher of record for the team when they took the lead for good. That sounds complicated, but it’s like this:
- Imagine the game is tied in the 7th inning. Reliever ‘A’ comes in and pitches the top of the 7th, keeping it tied.
- Then, in the bottom of the 7th, his team scores and takes the lead.
- If the team holds onto that lead for the rest of the game (doesn’t fall behind or get tied again), Reliever ‘A’ is usually the guy who gets the win. Even if another reliever finishes the game.
So, the reliever who was on the mound right before or during the half-inning where their team gained the final, decisive lead is typically the one awarded the win.
The Official Scorer’s Role
Now, I also noticed it’s not always totally automatic, especially with relievers. Sometimes a reliever might pitch really briefly, maybe face one batter, or pitch poorly but just happen to be in when the team takes the lead. In those weird cases, the official scorer keeping track of the game actually has some judgment call power. They might decide that pitcher wasn’t really effective and give the win to another reliever who pitched later and was more crucial in preserving that lead. But most of the time, it follows that rule about who was pitching when the team took the lead for good.
So, yeah, that’s what I figured out just by watching and trying to see the pattern. The starter needs those five innings and to leave with a lead that never disappears. If not the starter, it’s usually the reliever who was pitching when the team grabbed the lead they kept until the end. Took me a while to consistently track it, but it makes more sense now when I see that ‘W’ pop up next to a pitcher’s name.
