Background – Studies investigating the relation between baseline liver abnormality and COVID-19 patients’ outcomes during hospitalization are scarce. The aim of the study is to address and characterize this clinically important association. Methods – Retrospective single-center study of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 infection for whom the baseline liver function tests up to one year prior to the admission were available. The study cohort included hospitalized patients from COVID-19 wards and specialized COVID-19 intensive care unit. Subjects were divided into a normal and abnormal baseline LFT groups that were then compared with respect to demographic characteristics, co-morbidities and patients’ outcomes during hospitalization. Results – 133 of 444 subjects met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Of them, 50/133 (37.6%) had abnormal baseline LFTs. The mean age of the cohort subjects was 65.7 ± 22.1 years and the mean BMI was 28.7 ± 13.0. Subjects with abnormal LFTs were more likely to die (22% versus 4.8%, p = 0.004) or require mechanical ventilation (16% versus 4.8%, p = 0.03) during hospitalization when compared to their normal LFT counterparts. Multivariate analysis revealed that abnormal baseline LFT (OR 6, 95% CI 2.0 – 18.4) was the strongest predictor of death or requiring mechanical ventilation followed by diabetes mellitus (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.3 – 14.8) and congestive heart failure (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.2 – 12.5). Conclusion - patients known to have a baseline LFTs abnormality appear to be at an increased risk for death or mechanical ventilation during hospitalization with COVID-19.