Showing content from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Baseball_career_putouts_leaders below:
List of Major League Baseball career putouts leaders
Jake Beckley, the all-time leader in career putouts.
In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by PO or fly out when appropriate) is given to a defensive player who records an out by a Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base (a tagout), catching a batted or thrown ball and tagging a base to put out a batter or runner (a Force out), catching a thrown ball and tagging a base to record an out on an appeal play, catching a third strike (a strikeout), catching a batted ball on the fly (a flyout), or being positioned closest to a runner called out for interference.
Jake Beckley[1][2][3] is the all-time leader in career putouts with 23,743. Cap Anson[4] (22,572), Ed Konetchy[5] (21,378), Eddie Murray[6] (21,265), Charlie Grimm[7] (20,722), and Stuffy McInnis[8] (20,120) are the only other players to record 20,000 career putouts.
Rank Among leaders in career putouts. A blank field indicates a tie. Player (2025 POs) Recorded putouts in 2025. PO Career putouts. * Elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Bold Active player.[a]
The top 100 in putouts in major league history.
Freddy Freeman, the active leader in putouts and 34th all-time.
- Stats updated as of July 5, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) PO 1 Jake Beckley* 23,743 2 Cap Anson* 22,572 3 Ed Konetchy 21,378 4 Eddie Murray* 21,265 5 Charlie Grimm 20,722 6 Stuffy McInnis 20,120 7 Mickey Vernon 19,819 8 Jake Daubert 19,634 9 Lou Gehrig* 19,525 10 Joe Kuhel 19,386 11 Joe Judge 19,265 12 Steve Garvey 19,004 13 Fred McGriff* 18,985 14 George Sisler* 18,914 15 Todd Helton* 18,905 16 Wally Pipp 18,779 17 Mark Grace 18,503 18 Hal Chase 18,346 19 Jim Bottomley* 18,337 20 Fred Tenney 18,278 21 Andrés Galarraga 18,224 22 Rafael Palmeiro 18,128 23 Roger Connor* 18,115 24 Keith Hernandez 17,916 25 Jimmie Foxx* 17,797 26 Chris Chambliss 17,771 27 Albert Pujols 17,620 28 Willie McCovey* 17,567 29 Jeff Bagwell* 17,546 30 George Burns 16,970 31 Will Clark 16,695 32 Tommy Tucker 16,433 33 Dan Brouthers* 16,422 34 Freddie Freeman (525) 16,263 35 John Olerud 16,165 36 Wally Joyner 16,081 37 Bill Terry* 15,999 38 Paul Goldschmidt (515) 15,979 39 Paul Konerko 15,965 40 Harry Davis 15,866 41 Gil Hodges* 15,722 42 Lu Blue 15,647 43 George Scott 15,601 44 Fred Merkle 15,513 45 Carlos Delgado 15,236 46 Yadier Molina 15,232 47 Norm Cash 15,173 48 Tony Pérez* 15,127 49 Bill Buckner 15,126 50 Tino Martinez 15,001 Rank Player (2025 POs) PO 51 Mark Teixeira 14,989 52 Adrián González 14,983 53 Iván Rodríguez* 14,922 54 Derrek Lee 14,910 55 Johnny Mize* 14,862 56 Orlando Cepeda* 14,829 57 Joey Votto 14,736 58 George Kelly* 14,690 59 Mark McGwire 14,464 60 Don Mattingly 14,270 61 Ernie Banks* 14,206 62 Eric Karros 14,056 63 Charles Comiskey* 13,900 64 Frank McCormick 13,803 Dan McGann 13,803 66 Kent Hrbek 13,725 67 Dolph Camilli 13,724 68 Joe Adcock 13,678 69 Rod Carew* 13,510 70 George McQuinn 13,414 71 Cecil Cooper 13,361 72 Carlos Santana (446) 13,243 73 Elbie Fletcher 13,237 74 John Mayberry 13,169 75 Anthony Rizzo (0) 13,128 76 Fred Luderus 13,126 77 Gus Suhr 13,104 78 Jason Kendall 13,067 79 Lee May 13,029 80 Bill White 13,015 81 George Stovall 12,899 82 Brad Ausmus 12,856 83 J.T. Snow 12,855 84 Kitty Bransfield 12,805 85 Boog Powell 12,796 86 Ted Kluszewski 12,652 87 A. J. Pierzynski 12,600 88 Dick Hoblitzell 12,591 89 Eric Hosmer 12,555 90 Jack Fournier 12,535 91 Candy LaChance 12,506 92 Gary Carter* 12,490 93 Stan Musial* 12,439 94 Phil Cavarretta 12,435 95 Pete Rose 12,394 96 Ryan Howard 12,351 97 Rudy York 12,308 98 Brian McCann 12,165 99 Walter Holke 12,158 100 Hal Trosky 12,125 Greg Maddux, the all-time leader in putouts by a pitcher.
The pitcher is the player who pitches the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, playing the most difficult and specialized position, and as such is regarded as being at the right end of the defensive spectrum. Pitchers play far less than players at other positions, generally appearing in only two or three games per week; only one pitcher in major league history has appeared in 100 games in a single season. There are many different types of pitchers, generally divided between starting pitchers and relief pitchers, which include the middle reliever, lefty specialist, setup man, and closer. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1.
Pitchers typically record putouts by catching line drives or pop-ups, or by covering first base on ground balls to the first baseman. On pop-ups, however, pitchers will often instead act as a defensive supervisor, evaluating the ball's arc and selecting which infielder should make the catch. Pitchers can also record a putout while covering home plate by tagging a runner attempting to score a run if the catcher is retrieving a wild pitch, passed ball, or errant throw. Because of the relative rarity of such plays, as well as their reduced playing time, pitchers record far fewer putouts than players at any other position; players at every other position have recorded between five and forty-three times as many putouts as the top pitcher. Only four pitchers in history – none since 1886 – have recorded 50 putouts in a season, a total which a first baseman might reach in a week.
Career putout totals for pitchers have generally risen with the increase in long careers, and the lengthening of the major league season in the early 1960s. The top 11 career leaders are all starting pitchers who have been active since 1962. Right-handed pitchers generally record more putouts due to their facing first base after the follow-through of their pitching motion; the top 24 leaders are all right-handed. Greg Maddux is the all-time leader in career putouts by a pitcher with 546;[9][10][11] he is the only pitcher to record more than 400 career putouts.
Justin Verlander, the active leader in putouts by a pitcher and tied for 98th all-time. Jack Morris holds the American League record. Tony Mullane held the major league record for 87 years. Kid Nichols held the National League record for 81 years. Jamie Moyer holds the record for left-handed pitchers. Walter Johnson held the American League record for 60 years.
- Stats updated as of June 18, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Throws Putouts as a pitcher Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Greg Maddux* R 546 0 546 Held the modern National League single-season record, 1990-1999 (tie) 2 Kevin Brown R 388 187 201 Holds the modern National League single-season record of 41 (set in 1999) 3 Jack Morris* R 387 387 0 Held major league record, 1994-2000 4 Phil Niekro* R 386 46 340 Held major league record, 1985-1994; held National League record, 1982-1998 5 Ferguson Jenkins* R 363 176 187 Held major league record, 1981-1985 6 Gaylord Perry* R 349 141 208 7 Zack Greinke R 340 151 189 8 Don Sutton* R 334 64 270 9 Orel Hershiser R 332 56 276 10 Rick Reuschel R 328 6 322 Tom Seaver* R 328 48 280 12 Tony Mullane R 326 0 106 Includes 220 in American Association (league record); held major league record, 1894-1981; held the single-season record, 1882-1886 13 Pud Galvin* R 325 0 276 Includes 26 in American Association, 22 in Players' League, 1 in National Association; held major league record, 1889-1894; held National League record, 1891-1901 14 Roger Clemens R 320 296 24 John Smoltz* R 320 4 316 16 Dennis Martínez R 319 196 123 17 Chick Fraser R 317 35 282 Held the modern single-season record, 1901-1902 18 Robin Roberts* R 316 64 252 19 Kid Nichols* R 313 0 313 Held National League record, 1901-1982 20 Jim Palmer* R 292 292 0 Held American League record, 1982-1990 21 Bob Gibson* R 291 0 291 Juan Marichal* R 291 4 287 23 Bert Blyleven* R 287 252 35 24 Christy Mathewson* R 281 0 281 25 Jamie Moyer L 279 203 76 26 Mike Moore R 278 278 0 27 Walter Johnson* R 276 276 0 Held American League record, 1922-1982 28 Dave Stieb R 272 272 0 29 Vic Willis* R 271 0 271 Held the modern National League single-season record, 1902-1999 30 Doug Drabek R 266 27 239 31 Doyle Alexander R 264 220 44 32 Bob Lemon* R 263 263 0 Jim McCormick R 263 0 250 Includes 13 in Union Association; held major league record, 1885-1889 34 Tom Glavine * L 262 0 262 Jim Kaat* L 262 214 48 Held record for left-handed pitchers, 1980-2008 36 Tim Keefe* R 260 0 196 Includes 49 in American Association, 15 in Players' League 37 Tim Hudson R 258 114 144 Kenny Rogers L 258 254 4 39 Larry Jackson R 257 0 257 40 Dan Petry R 255 251 4 41 Joe Niekro R 253 56 197 42 Mike Boddicker R 245 245 0 Holds the modern single-season record of 49 (set in 1984) Ted Breitenstein L 245 0 244 Includes 1 in American Association; holds the single-season record for left-handed pitchers (46 in 1895) Lew Burdette R 245 8 237 Milt Pappas R 245 133 112 46 Adonis Terry R 244 0 106 Includes 138 in American Association 47 Bob Welch R 243 102 141 48 Mel Stottlemyre R 242 242 0 49 Freddie Fitzsimmons R 237 0 237 Mark Gubicza R 237 237 0 Tommy John L 237 191 46 Steve Rogers R 237 0 237 53 Murry Dickson R 236 10 226 Bobby Mathews R 236 0 60 Includes 139 in National Association, 37 in American Association; held major league record, 1883-1886 Adam Wainwright R 236 0 236 Doc White L 236 219 17 57 Charlie Hough R 235 193 42 58 Bob Forsch R 234 0 234 59 Ed Walsh* R 233 232 1 60 Mike Mussina* R 231 231 0 61 Tom Candiotti R 230 154 76 Charles Radbourn* R 230 0 214 Includes 16 in Players' League 63 George Mullin R 229 219 0 Includes 10 in Federal League; held the modern single-season record, 1903-1904 (tie) Eddie Plank* L 229 216 0 Includes 13 in Federal League Cy Young* R 229 72 157 66 Bob Friend R 228 3 225 Roy Halladay* R 228 188 40 68 Tim Wakefield R 227 213 14 69 Frank Tanana L 226 215 11 70 Burleigh Grimes* R 225 1 224 Catfish Hunter* R 225 225 0 72 Dwight Gooden R 224 33 191 73 Scott Erickson R 223 219 4 Mike Torrez R 223 130 93 75 John Lackey R 222 156 66 Warren Spahn* L 222 0 222 77 Bronson Arroyo R 221 47 174 John Clarkson* R 221 0 221 Derek Lowe R 221 108 113 Luis Tiant R 221 218 3 81 David Cone R 220 119 101 Nolan Ryan* R 220 125 95 83 Ted Lyons* R 219 219 0 84 Tommy Bond R 218 0 149 Includes 59 in National Association, 8 in Union Association, 2 in American Association 85 Mickey Welch* R 217 0 217 86 George Bradley R 216 0 120 Includes 52 in National Association, 33 in Union Association, 11 in American Association; held the single-season record, 1876-1882 Guy Hecker R 216 0 8 Includes 208 in American Association 88 Mike Morgan R 215 77 138 89 Mike Leake R 213 35 178 Brad Radke R 213 213 0 91 Tim Belcher R 212 118 94 Vern Law R 212 0 212 93 Bob Buhl R 211 0 211 Liván Hernández R 211 7 204 Albert Spalding* R 211 0 47 Includes 164 in National Association; held major league record, 1874-1883 Rick Sutcliffe R 211 77 134 97 Camilo Pascual R 210 209 1 98 Mel Harder R 209 209 0 Harry Howell R 209 192 17 Justin Verlander (4) R 209 192 17 Yadier Molina, the leader in all-time putouts by a catcher.
The catcher is a defensive position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his/her turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to these primary duties, the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the position well. The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket-keeper in cricket. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the catcher is assigned the number 2.
The great majority of putouts recorded by catchers result from strikeouts, with almost all of the rest resulting from catching pop-ups and retiring runners tagged out or forced out at home plate, including attempts to steal home. On rare occasions, a catcher can record two putouts on a single play, usually by tagging out a runner trying to steal home immediately after the batter has struck out; on August 2, 1985, Carlton Fisk of the Chicago White Sox tagged out two New York Yankees moments apart at home plate when both tried to score on a double. The feat was duplicated by Paul Lo Duca of the New York Mets in Game 1 of the 2006 National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Putout totals are often not regarded as a strong indicator of a catcher's defensive skill because of the high number resulting from strikeouts. As trends in baseball have changed, with an increasing number of strikeouts per game, the proportion of catchers' putouts from strikeouts has risen steadily. In 1901, about 73% of catchers' putouts in the major leagues resulted from strikeouts (the figure is imprecise due to the occasional uncaught third strike either resulting in no putout or a putout being awarded to a different player); that figure rose to 78% in 1930, 84% in 1950 and 92% in 1980. In the 2021 season, 99% of catchers' putouts resulted from strikeouts; remarkably, the Atlanta Braves pitching staff recorded 1,417 strikeouts, but the team's catchers only recorded 1,394 putouts. Accordingly, putout totals for catchers have also risen steadily; through 2021, the top six major league catchers in career putouts, and 11 of the top 16, all made their major league debuts after 1990, with all 16 debuting in 1969 or later. Through 2021, 12 of the top 13 single-season totals were recorded in 2016 or later, and 90 of the top 100 were recorded since 1993.
Yadier Molina holds the record for the most putouts by a catcher with 15,122.[12] Molina surpassed the previous holder, Hall of Famer Iván Rodríguez, on June 14, 2022, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates.[13][14][15][16] Rodríguez (14,864) remains the only other catcher to record 14,000 career putouts.
J.T. Realmuto, the active leader in career putouts as a catcher and 16th all-time. Ivan Rodríguez, holder of the American League career record. Gary Carter, the first catcher to record 10,000 putouts. Carlton Fisk held the American League record for 17 years. Gabby Hartnett held the National League record for 30 years. Ray Schalk led the American League in putouts for a record nine times.
- Stats updated as of July 5, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Putouts as a catcher Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Yadier Molina 15,122 0 15,122 2 Iván Rodríguez* 14,864 12,377 2,487 Held major league record, 2007-2022 3 Jason Kendall 13,019 3,116 9,903 4 Brad Ausmus 12,839 2,104 10,735 5 A. J. Pierzynski 12,600 10,562 2,038 6 Brian McCann 12,048 4,086 7,962 7 Gary Carter* 11,785 0 11,785 Held major league record, 1988-1989, 1991-2007; held NL record, 1987-2018 8 Russell Martin 11,612 4,815 6,797 9 Carlton Fisk* 11,369 11,369 0 Held American League record, 1990-2007 10 Bob Boone 11,260 5,583 5,677 Held major league record, 1989-1991 11 Tony Peña 11,212 4,408 6,804 12 Kurt Suzuki 10,869 7,755 3,114 13 Mike Piazza* 10,844 0 10,844 14 Benito Santiago 10,816 894 9,922 15 Jason Varitek 10,166 10,166 0 16 J. T. Realmuto (666) 10,066 0 10,066 17 Jorge Posada 10,016 10,016 0 18 Bill Freehan 9,941 9,941 0 Held major league record, 1975-1988; held AL record, 1973-1990; held AL single-season record, 1967-1997 19 Jim Sundberg 9,767 9,406 361 20 Salvador Pérez (347) 9,766 9,766 0 21 Lance Parrish 9,647 8,059 1,588 22 John Roseboro 9,291 1,396 7,895 Held major league record, 1969-1975; held NL record, 1966-1972; held single-season record, 1959-1963 23 Johnny Bench* 9,249 0 9,249 Held National League record, 1980-1987 24 Martín Maldonado (342) 9,226 6,770 2,456 25 Yasmani Grandal (0) 9,115 2,235 6,880 Holds the single-season record of 1,169 (set in 2019) 26 Ramón Hernández 9,012 5,740 3,272 27 Javy López 8,990 1,570 7,420 28 Johnny Edwards 8,925 0 8,925 Held National League record, 1972-1980; held the single-season record, 1963-2019 29 Ted Simmons* 8,906 1,330 7,576 30 Yogi Berra* 8,738 8,723 15 Held major league record, 1959-1969; held AL record, 1959-1973 31 Yan Gomes (0) 8,378 5,203 3,175 Held AL single-season record, 2014-2019 32 Buster Posey 8,359 0 8,359 33 Mike Scioscia 8,335 0 8,335 34 Tim McCarver 8,206 55 8,151 35 Bengie Molina 8,122 4,989 3,133 36 Dan Wilson 8,109 7,921 188 Held AL single-season record, 1997-2014 37 Jerry Grote 8,081 87 7,994 38 Jonathan Lucroy 8,041 2,183 5,858 39 Bill Dickey* 7,965 7,965 0 Held major league record, 1942-1959; held AL record, 1942-1959 40 Mike Lieberthal 7,829 0 7,829 41 Matt Wieters 7,697 5,597 2,100 42 Carlos Ruiz 7,668 282 7,386 43 Sandy Alomar Jr. 7,667 7,335 332 44 Joe Girardi 7,619 2,626 4,993 45 Christian Vázquez (380) 7,615 7,615 0 46 Chris Iannetta 7,613 3,310 4,303 47 Miguel Montero 7,516 192 7,324 48 Jim Hegan 7,506 7,170 336 49 Terry Steinbach 7,505 7,505 0 50 Rick Dempsey 7,367 6,556 811 51 Del Crandall 7,352 304 7,048 52 Roy Campanella* 7,295 0 6,520 Includes 775 in Negro National League (incomplete); held single-season record, 1953-1959 53 Gabby Hartnett* 7,292 0 7,292 Held major league record, 1941-1942; held NL record, 1936-1966 54 Wilson Ramos 7,256 1,311 5,945 55 Rick Ferrell* 7,248 7,248 0 56 Charles Johnson 7,218 1,582 5,636 57 Ray Schalk* 7,168 7,161 7 Held major league record, 1925-1941; held AL record 1920-1942 58 Mike Matheny 7,117 1,860 5,257 59 Alan Ashby 7,086 1,991 5,095 60 Sherm Lollar 7,059 7,059 0 61 Tom Haller 7,012 220 6,792 62 Travis d'Arnaud (264) 6,984 923 6,061 63 Deacon McGuire 6,856 1,661 4,041 Includes 1,154 in American Association; held major league record, 1901-1925 64 Mike Zunino 6,832 6,832 0 65 Rod Barajas 6,768 3,416 3,352 65 Darrell Porter 6,756 4,497 2,259 66 John Buck 6,733 4,264 2,469 68 Damian Miller 6,696 786 5,910 69 Darrin Fletcher 6,678 2,992 3,686 70 Miguel Olivo 6,675 3,950 2,725 71 James McCann (46) 6,674 5,210 1,464 72 Alex Avila 6,658 5,373 1,285 73 Al López* 6,644 144 6,500 74 Terry Kennedy 6,555 1,082 5,473 75 Rick Cerone 6,548 5,634 914 76 Todd Hundley 6,535 0 6,535 77 Elston Howard 6,447 6,447 0 Held AL single-season record, 1964-1967 78 Mickey Cochrane* 6,414 6,414 0 79 Tucker Barnhart 6,391 690 5,701 80 Jason Castro 6,323 5,264 1,059 81 Paul Lo Duca 6,311 0 6,311 82 Jeff Mathis 6,294 3,843 2,451 83 Butch Wynegar 6,281 6,281 0 84 Thurman Munson 6,253 6,253 0 85 Brent Mayne 6,186 3,706 2,480 86 Earl Battey 6,176 6,176 0 Held AL single-season record, 1961-1964 87 Don Slaught 6,158 3,911 2,247 88 Gregg Zaun 6,134 4,465 1,669 89 Dioner Navarro 6,113 4,651 1,462 89 Steve Yeager 6,110 234 5,876 91 Ernie Whitt 6,091 5,795 296 92 Joe Oliver 6,059 1,329 4,730 93 Nick Hundley 6,045 529 5,516 94 José Molina 6,033 5,989 44 95 Michael Barrett 6,020 34 5,986 96 Manny Sanguillén 5,996 341 5,655 97 Brian Schneider 5,987 0 5,987 98 Steve O'Neill 5,967 5,967 0 99 Austin Hedges (226) 5,946 2,301 3,645 100 Rollie Hemsley 5,868 4,251 1,617 Jake Beckley, the all-time leader in career putouts by a first baseman.
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner to score a run for that player's team. A first baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest first base and is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3.
The great majority of putouts recorded by first basemen result from their fielding a throw from one of the other three infielders or the pitcher on a ground out. Because of the frequency of ground outs, first basemen typically accumulate higher putout totals than players at any other position, and they often benefit in this area from the defensive skill of the other infielders. Other ways in which first basemen often record a putout include catching a pop-up or line drive, fielding a ground ball close enough to first base that they can step on the bag before the batter/runner arrives, tagging a runner on a pickoff play, receiving a throw to retire a runner who fails to tag up on a fly ball out, receiving a throw to retire a batter/runner on a bunt (often a sacrifice hit), and tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play. Occasionally, a first baseman can record two putouts on a single play; with a runner taking a lead off first base and less than two out, the first baseman can catch a line drive near the base, then step on the bag before the runner can return, completing a double play. On two occasions in major league history, a first baseman has recorded three putouts on a single play for an unassisted triple play: On September 14, 1923, George Burns of the Boston Red Sox accomplished the feat in the second inning against the Cleveland Indians by catching a line drive, tagging the runner off first base, then sprinting to step on second base before the runner off that base could return. And on May 31, 1927, Johnny Neun of the Detroit Tigers completed a triple play in the same way, also against the Indians, securing a 1-0 victory in the ninth inning.
As strikeout totals have risen in baseball, the frequency of other defensive outs including ground outs has declined; as a result, putout totals for first basemen have likewise declined, and ten of the top eleven career leaders ended their careers before 1961. Through 2021, only two of the top 31 single-season totals have been recorded since 1927, and only 27 of the top 125 since 1945. Jake Beckley[17][18][19] is the all-time leader in career putouts as a first baseman with 23,755. Cap Anson[20] (21,699), Ed Konetchy[21] (21,361), Eddie Murray[22] (21,255), and Charlie Grimm[23] (20,711) are the only other players to record 20,000 career putouts.
Freddy Freeman, the active leader in putouts as a first baseman and 34th all-time. Eddie Murray has the most putouts of any first baseman since 1960. Mickey Vernon holds the American League career record. Lou Gehrig held the American League record for 20 years. George Kelly's 1,759 putouts in 1920 remain a National League record. Frank McCormick was one of four players who led the major leagues in putouts five times.
- Stats updated as of July 5, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Putouts as a first baseman Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Jake Beckley* 23,755 0 22,475 Includes 1,280 in Players' League; held single-season record, 1892-1898 2 Cap Anson* 21,699 0 20,798 Includes 901 in National Association; held major league record, 1888-1905; held NL record, 1887-1905; held single-season record, 1884-1886; held NL single-season record, 1884-1886, 1889-1891 3 Ed Konetchy 21,361 0 19,825 Includes 1,536 in Federal League; held National League single-season record, 1911-1920 4 Eddie Murray* 21,255 14,830 6,425 5 Charlie Grimm 20,711 0 20,711 6 Stuffy McInnis 19,962 16,349 3,613 Held American League record, 1920-1928 7 Mickey Vernon 19,808 19,754 54 8 Jake Daubert 19,634 0 19,634 9 Lou Gehrig* 19,510 19,510 0 Held American League record, 1938-1958 10 Joe Kuhel 19,386 19,386 0 11 Joe Judge 19,264 19,021 243 Held American League record, 1930-1938 12 Fred McGriff* 18,985 8,259 10,726 13 Todd Helton* 18,889 0 18,889 14 Steve Garvey 18,844 0 18,844 15 George Sisler* 18,837 15,336 3,501 16 Wally Pipp 18,779 15,251 3,528 17 Mark Grace 18,503 0 18,503 18 Jim Bottomley* 18,337 1,429 16,908 19 Andrés Galarraga 18,244 204 18,040 20 Hal Chase 18,185 11,792 4,243 Includes 2,150 in Federal League 21 Keith Hernandez 17,909 340 17,569 22 Fred Tenney 17,903 0 17,903 Held National League single-season record, 1905-1906, 1908-1911 23 Chris Chambliss 17,771 11,219 6,552 24 Rafael Palmeiro 17,738 17,596 142 25 Roger Connor* 17,612 0 16,277 Includes 1,335 in Players' League; held NL single-season record, 1887-1888 26 Jeff Bagwell* 17,545 0 17,545 27 Jimmie Foxx* 17,207 16,426 781 28 Willie McCovey* 17,170 0 17,170 29 Albert Pujols 17,049 4,662 12,387 30 George Burns 16,892 16,892 0 Held American League record, 1928-1930 31 Will Clark 16,695 6,117 10,578 32 Tommy Tucker 16,401 0 12,557 Includes 3,844 in American Association; held single-season record, 1898-1904; held NL single-season record, 1898-1905 33 Dan Brouthers* 16,386 0 13,865 Includes 1,313 in American Association, 1,208 in Players' League; held NL single-season record, 1883-1884 34 Freddie Freeman (525) 16,250 0 16,250 35 John Olerud 16,165 12,271 3,894 36 Wally Joyner 16,081 11,926 4,155 37 Paul Goldschmidt (515) 15,979 515 15,464 38 Bill Terry* 15,972 0 15,972 39 Paul Konerko 15,936 15,725 211 40 Harry Davis 15,666 13,423 2,243 Held American League record, 1906-1920 41 Lu Blue 15,644 15,642 2 42 Fred Merkle 15,419 34 15,385 43 George Scott 15,405 15,405 0 44 Gil Hodges* 15,344 0 15,344 45 Norm Cash 15,157 15,157 0 46 Carlos Delgado 15,144 10,236 4,908 47 Tino Martinez 15,001 12,755 2,246 48 Adrián González 14,962 2,350 12,612 49 Mark Teixeira 14,942 13,485 1,457 50 Derrek Lee 14,910 713 14,197 51 Johnny Mize* 14,850 1,500 13,350 52 Joey Votto 14,722 0 14,722 53 Tony Pérez* 14,481 1,825 12,656 54 Orlando Cepeda* 14,459 0 14,459 55 Mark McGwire 14,451 10,285 4,166 56 George Kelly* 14,232 0 14,232 Holds NL single-season record 57 Don Mattingly 14,148 14,148 0 58 Eric Karros 14,056 165 13,891 59 Bill Buckner 13,901 4,482 9,419 60 Charles Comiskey* 13,832 0 2,705 Includes 10,245 in American Association, 882 in Players' League; held the single-season record, 1883-1884 61 Frank McCormick 13,798 0 13,798 62 Kent Hrbek 13,725 13,725 0 63 Dolph Camilli 13,724 505 13,219 64 Dan McGann 13,694 658 13,036 65 George McQuinn 13,414 13,078 336 66 Cecil Cooper 13,361 13,361 0 67 Elbie Fletcher 13,237 0 13,237 68 John Mayberry 13,169 12,456 713 69 Anthony Rizzo (0) 13,128 2,485 10,643 70 Fred Luderus 13,126 0 13,126 71 Gus Suhr 13,103 0 13,103 72 Joe Adcock 13,006 2,921 10,085 73 Lee May 12,885 3,291 9,594 74 J. T. Snow 12,855 4,063 8,792 75 Kitty Bransfield 12,797 0 12,797 76 Bill White 12,735 0 12,735 77 George Stovall 12,709 10,091 0 Includes 2,618 in Federal League 78 Ted Kluszewski 12,652 1,065 11,587 79 Dick Hoblitzell 12,584 4,430 8,154 80 Eric Hosmer 12,554 8,344 4,210 81 Jack Fournier 12,375 3,249 9,126 82 Ryan Howard 12,351 0 12,351 83 Candy LaChance 12,330 6,202 6,128 Held American League record, 1902-1906; held the single-season record, 1904-1906; held AL single-season record, 1902-1906 84 Walter Holke 12,158 0 12,158 85 Boog Powell 12,130 12,115 15 86 Hal Trosky 12,124 12,124 0 87 Adam LaRoche 12,072 380 11,692 88 Earl Sheely 12,067 9,401 2,666 89 Bill Skowron 12,043 11,525 518 90 Ernie Banks* 12,005 0 12,005 91 Jason Thompson 11,818 6,114 5,704 92 Lyle Overbay 11,755 7,004 4,751 93 Earl Torgeson 11,680 3,299 8,381 94 Pete O'Brien 11,651 11,651 0 95 Phil Cavarretta 11,375 264 11,111 96 Rudy York 11,359 11,359 0 97 Mike Hargrove 11,274 10,951 323 98 Justin Morneau 11,239 9,489 1,750 99 Joe Start 11,197 0 8,691 Includes 2,506 in National Association; held major league record, 1877-1888; held NL record, 1877-1887; held single-season record, 1880-1883 100 Chick Gandil 11,118 11,118 0 Bid McPhee, the all-time leader in career putouts by a second baseman
In baseball and softball, the second baseman is a fielding position in the infield, commonly stationed between second and first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must be able to make the pivot on a double play. In addition, second basemen are almost always right-handed. Only four left-handed throwing players have appeared as second basemen in the major leagues since 1950; one of the four, Gonzalo Márquez, was listed as the second baseman in the starting lineup for two games in 1973, batting in the first inning, but was replaced before his team took the field on defense, and none of the other three players lasted even a complete inning at the position.[24] In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the second baseman is assigned the number 4.
Putouts are most commonly recorded by second basemen by stepping on second base after receiving a throw from another infielder or the pitcher to force out a runner on a ground out, often beginning a double play; a second baseman generally benefits in this respect from playing alongside an excellent shortstop with great range and quickness. Other ways in which second basemen often record a putout include catching a pop-up or line drive, fielding a ground ball close enough to second base that they can step on the bag for a force out before the runner advances from first base, tagging a runner after a throw from the catcher or pitcher on a stolen base attempt or a pickoff play, receiving a throw from an outfielder to tag out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double, receiving a throw to retire a runner who fails to tag up on a fly ball out, receiving a throw to force out a runner on a bunt (possibly a sacrifice hit attempt), and tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play. Sometimes a second baseman will record a putout while covering first base if the first baseman is charging toward the plate on an expected bunt. Occasionally, a second baseman can record two putouts on a single play; with a runner taking a lead off second base and less than two out, the second baseman can catch a line drive near the base, then step on the bag before the runner can return, completing a double play; alternately, if a runner on first base breaks for second base when the ball is hit, the second baseman can catch a line drive and tag the runner before they can stop and return to first. On five occasions in major league history, a second baseman has recorded three putouts on a single play for an unassisted triple play, always by catching a line drive, then stepping on second base and tagging the runner advancing from first base (one of the five tagged the runner before stepping on the bag). The first and most famous of these occurred in Game Five of the 1920 World Series, when Cleveland Indians second baseman Bill Wambsganss accomplished the feat in the fifth inning.
As strikeout totals have risen in baseball, the frequency of other defensive outs including ground outs has declined; as a result, putout totals for second basemen have likewise declined, and seven of the top eight career leaders began their careers before 1961. Through 2021, only five of the top 19 single-season totals have been recorded since 1936, only eight of the top 70 since 1962, and only two of the top 154 since 1980; only four of the top 500 have been recorded since 2000. Bid McPhee,[25][26][27] who retired in 1899 and is the only second baseman ever to record 500 putouts in a season, is the all-time leader in career putouts as a second baseman with 6,552. Eddie Collins[28] (6,526) and Nellie Fox[29] (6,090) are the only other second basemen with over 6,000 career putouts.
Jose Altuve, the active leader in putouts as a second baseman and 97h all-time. Eddie Collins holds the American League career record. Nellie Fox led the American League in putouts a record ten consecutive seasons. Joe Morgan holds the National League career record. Fred Pfeffer held the National League career record for 47 years. Bobby Grich's 484 putouts in 1974 are the most by any second baseman since 1900.
- Stats updated as of July 5, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Putouts as a second baseman Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Bid McPhee* 6,552 0 3,441 Includes 3,111 in American Association; holds the single-season record of 529 (set in 1886) 2 Eddie Collins* 6,526 6,526 0 3 Nellie Fox* 6,090 5,859 231 4 Joe Morgan* 5,742 201 5,541 5 Nap Lajoie* 5,496 4,543 953 Held American League record, 1901-1902, 1903-1904, 1908-1921; held AL single-season record, 1901-1905, 1908-1922 6 Charlie Gehringer* 5,369 5,369 0 7 Bill Mazeroski* 4,974 0 4,974 Held National League record, 1970-1981 8 Bobby Doerr* 4,928 4,928 0 9 Willie Randolph 4,859 4,366 493 10 Billy Herman* 4,780 0 4,780 Held National League record, 1943-1970; holds the NL single-season record (466 in 1933) 11 Lou Whitaker 4,771 4,771 0 12 Frank White 4,742 4,742 0 13 Fred Pfeffer 4,719 0 4,278 Includes 441 in Players' League; held National League record, 1889-1936; held NL single-season record, 1884-1912 14 Red Schoendienst* 4,616 0 4,616 15 Roberto Alomar* 4,458 3,028 1,430 16 Frankie Frisch* 4,348 0 4,348 Held National League record, 1936-1943 17 Bobby Grich 4,217 4,217 0 Holds the American League single-season record (484 in 1974) 18 Del Pratt 4,069 4,069 0 19 Robinson Canó 4,066 3,841 225 20 Jeff Kent 4,016 35 3,981 21 Craig Biggio* 3,992 0 3,992 22 Kid Gleason 3,887 655 3,232 23 Cupid Childs 3,865 0 3,493 Includes 372 in American Association 24 Ryne Sandberg* 3,807 0 3,807 25 George Cutshaw 3,762 437 3,325 26 Johnny Evers* 3,758 3 3,755 27 Lou Bierbauer 3,726 0 1,828 Includes 1,526 in American Association, 372 in Players' League 28 Larry Doyle 3,635 0 3,635 29 Joe Gordon* 3,600 3,600 0 30 Steve Sax 3,574 1,199 2,375 31 Brandon Phillips 3,548 304 3,244 32 Ray Durham 3,506 2,126 1,380 33 Félix Millán 3,495 0 3,495 34 Buddy Myer 3,487 3,487 0 35 Cub Stricker 3,447 0 843 Includes 2,309 in American Association, 295 in Players' League 36 Hughie Critz 3,446 0 3,446 37 Claude Ritchey 3,444 0 3,444 38 Bret Boone 3,443 1,465 1,978 39 Ski Melillo 3,437 3,437 0 40 Chase Utley 3,426 0 3,426 41 Miller Huggins* 3,425 0 3,425 42 Frank Bolling 3,423 1,863 1,560 43 Bucky Harris* 3,412 3,412 0 Held the American League single-season record, 1922-1974 44 Manny Trillo 3,403 218 3,185 45 Ian Kinsler 3,397 3,301 96 46 Julián Javier 3,380 0 3,380 47 Tony Lazzeri* 3,351 3,315 36 48 Bobby Lowe 3,336 396 2,940 49 Joe Quinn 3,329 158 2,730 Includes 441 in Players' League 50 Luis Castillo 3,287 421 2,866 51 Tony Taylor 3,274 369 2,905 52 Jerry Priddy 3,226 3,226 0 53 Rogers Hornsby* 3,206 31 3,175 54 Dave Cash 3,185 0 3,185 55 Johnny Temple 3,172 549 2,623 56 Davey Lopes 3,142 563 2,579 57 Jim Gantner 3,139 3,139 0 58 Bobby Richardson 3,125 3,125 0 59 Cookie Rojas 3,100 1,630 1,470 60 Jack Burdock 3,075 0 2,522 Includes 381 in National Association, 172 in American Association; held major league record, 1878-1889; held NL record, 1876-1889; held single-season record, 1873-1874, 1879-1884; held NL single-season record, 1876-1884 61 Don Blasingame 3,065 780 2,285 62 Tito Fuentes 3,046 396 2,650 63 Eddie Stanky 3,030 0 3,030 64 Bill Wambsganss 2,986 2,986 0 65 Tom Herr 2,932 140 2,792 66 Ted Sizemore 2,928 69 2,859 67 Fred Dunlap 2,909 0 2,559 Includes 341 in Union Association, 8 in American Association, 1 in Players' League 68 Tony Cuccinello 2,883 11 2,872 69 Davey Johnson 2,837 2,273 564 70 Bobby Ávila 2,820 2,717 103 71 Glenn Hubbard 2,795 277 2,518 72 Joe Gerhardt 2,794 0 1,446 Includes 1,320 in American Association, 28 in National Association 73 Jimmy Williams 2,759 2,759 0 74 Max Bishop 2,752 2,752 0 75 Harold Reynolds 2,749 2,749 0 76 Otto Knabe 2,743 0 2,251 Includes 492 in Federal League 77 Ron Hunt 2,734 0 2,734 78 Glenn Beckert 2,710 0 2,710 79 Bill Hallman 2,701 0 2,351 Includes 327 in American Association, 23 in Players' League 80 Tommy Helms 2,688 4 2,684 81 Horace Clarke 2,682 2,642 40 Johnny Ray 2,682 766 1,916 83 Mark Ellis 2,671 2,042 629 84 Tom Daly 2,652 408 2,244 85 Orlando Hudson 2,635 1,236 1,399 86 Eric Young 2,623 41 2,582 87 Bill Doran 2,619 28 2,591 88 Robby Thompson 2,611 0 2,611 89 Delino DeShields 2,608 349 2,259 90 Ron Oester 2,591 0 2,591 91 Juan Samuel 2,580 48 2,532 92 Dustin Pedroia 2,574 2,574 0 93 Rod Carew* 2,573 2,573 0 94 Sandy Alomar 2,572 2,517 55 95 Rennie Stennett 2,568 0 2,568 96 Bobby Knoop 2,566 2,566 0 97 Jose Altuve (46) 2,548 2,211 337 98 Jim Gilliam 2,546 0 2,279 Includes 267 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) 99 Chuck Knoblauch 2,529 2,529 0 100 Dick Green 2,518 2,518 0 Brooks Robinson, the all-time leader in career putouts by a third baseman.
Third base, or 3B, is the third of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team. A third baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest third base, and is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base. The third baseman requires good reflexes in reacting to batted balls, often being the closest infielder (roughly 90–120 feet) to the batter. The third base position requires a strong and accurate arm, as the third baseman often makes long throws to first base. The third baseman sometimes must throw quickly to second base in time to start a double play, and must also field fly balls in both fair and foul territory. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5.
Third basemen typically record putouts by stepping on third base after receiving a throw from another infielder or the pitcher to force out a runner on a ground out, by catching a pop-up or line drive, or by fielding a ground ball close enough to third base that they can step on the bag for a force out before the runner advances from second base. Other ways in which third basemen often record a putout include receiving a throw from an outfielder to tag a runner trying to reach third base, tagging a runner after a throw from the catcher or pitcher on a stolen base attempt or a pickoff play, receiving a throw to retire a runner who fails to tag up on a fly ball out, receiving a throw to force out a runner on a bunt (possibly a sacrifice hit attempt), and tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play. Because fewer runners advance to third base than to the preceding bases, because of the higher difficulty of throwing out a runner taking a lead off second base, and because there are far fewer attempts to steal third base than second base, third basemen generally record far fewer putouts than any other players except pitchers. Occasionally, a third baseman can record two putouts on a single play; with a runner taking a lead off third base and less than two out, the third baseman can catch a line drive near the base, then step on the bag before the runner can return, completing a double play; alternately, if a runner on second base breaks for third base when the ball is hit, the third baseman can catch a line drive and tag the runner before they can stop and return to second.
As strikeout totals have risen in baseball, the frequency of other defensive outs including ground outs has declined; as a result, putout totals for third basemen have likewise declined, and all but three of the top 25 career leaders began their careers prior to 1961 even though career lengths for third basemen have steadily increased since 1920; eight of the top 13 began their careers before 1925. Through 2022, only four of the top 63 single-season totals have been recorded since 1929, only four of the top 138 since 1957, and only six of the top 499 since 1976. Brooks Robinson is the all-time leader in career putouts as a third baseman with 2,697;[30][31][32] he is the only third baseman with more than 2,500 career putouts.
Nolan Arenaldo, the active leader in putouts as a third baseman and 75th all-time. Jimmy Collins held the major league record for 65 years. Eddie Yost led the American League in putouts a record eight times. Pie Traynor holds the National League record. Billy Nash held the National League record for 37 years. Home Run Baker held the American League record for 41 years.
- Stats updated as of July 4, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Putouts as a third baseman Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Brooks Robinson* 2,697 2,697 0 2 Jimmy Collins* 2,372 1,182 1,190 Held major league record, 1908–1973; held American League record, 1904–1905; holds the NL single-season record (251 in 1900; tie) 3 Eddie Yost 2,356 2,356 0 Held American League record, 1960-1973 4 Lave Cross 2,310 999 1,283 Includes 28 in American Association; held major league record, 1906-1908 5 Pie Traynor* 2,289 0 2,289 6 Billy Nash 2,226 0 1,947 Includes 202 in Players' League, 77 in American Association; held major league record, 1895–1906; held NL record, 1896–1933; held NL single-season record, 1887-1889 7 Adrián Beltré* 2,194 1,475 719 8 Home Run Baker* 2,154 2,154 0 Held American League record, 1918–1920, 1921–1960; held AL single-season record, 1913-1927 9 Willie Kamm 2,151 2,151 0 Holds the American League single-season record (243 in 1928) 10 Eddie Mathews* 2,049 17 2,032 11 Willie Jones 2,045 3 2,042 12 Jimmy Austin 2,042 2,042 0 Held American League record, 1916–1918, 1920-1921 13 Arlie Latham 1,976 0 869 Includes 1,042 in American Association, 65 in Players' League; held major league record, 1894-1895 14 Ron Santo* 1,955 25 1,930 15 Stan Hack 1,944 0 1,944 16 Graig Nettles 1,898 1,583 315 17 Pinky Higgins 1,848 1,848 0 18 George Kell* 1,825 1,825 0 19 Billy Shindle 1,815 0 1,370 Includes 443 in American Association, 2 in Players' League 20 Buddy Bell 1,798 1,509 289 21 Larry Gardner 1,789 1,789 0 22 Harlond Clift 1,777 1,777 0 Jerry Denny 1,777 0 1,777 Held major league record, 1889–1894; held National League record, 1886–1896; held single-season record, 1883–1886; held NL single-season record, 1883-1887 24 Harry Steinfeldt 1,776 0 1,776 25 Bill Bradley 1,755 1,490 210 Includes 55 in Federal League; held American League record, 1902–1904, 1905-1916 26 Gary Gaetti 1,699 1,458 241 27 Denny Lyons 1,675 0 726 Includes 949 in American Association; holds the single-season record of 255 (set in 1887) 28 Tim Wallach 1,662 27 1,635 29 Sal Bando 1,647 1,647 0 30 Mike Schmidt* 1,591 0 1,591 31 Ken Keltner 1,576 1,576 0 32 Ken Boyer 1,567 24 1,543 33 Ossie Bluege 1,551 1,551 0 34 Wade Boggs* 1,550 1,550 0 35 Aurelio Rodríguez 1,529 1,491 38 36 Ron Cey 1,500 1 1,499 37 Scott Rolen* 1,478 136 1,342 38 Robin Ventura 1,471 1,148 323 39 Clete Boyer 1,470 966 504 40 Bobby Byrne 1,456 0 1,456 Heinie Groh 1,456 0 1,456 42 Pinky Whitney 1,455 0 1,455 43 Hick Carpenter 1,450 0 314 Includes 1,136 in American Association; held major league record, 1888–1889; held National League single-season record, 1880-1881 44 Bob Elliott 1,448 105 1,343 45 Art Devlin 1,399 0 1,399 46 Milt Stock 1,392 0 1,392 47 Terry Pendleton 1,386 12 1,374 48 Carney Lansford 1,382 1,382 0 49 George Brett* 1,372 1,372 0 50 Mike Mowrey 1,363 0 1,189 Includes 174 in Federal League 51 Jimmy Dykes 1,361 1,361 0 52 George Pinkney 1,343 0 535 Includes 808 in American Association; held single-season record, 1886-1887 53 Tommy Leach 1,323 0 1,323 54 Doc Casey 1,312 307 1,005 55 Frank Malzone 1,308 1,308 0 56 Evan Longoria 1,305 1,012 293 57 Matt Williams 1,293 89 1,204 58 Hans Lobert 1,292 0 1,292 59 Eddie Foster 1,289 1,289 0 60 Darrell Evans 1,273 17 1,256 61 Bill Coughlin 1,269 1,262 7 Held American League record, 1901–1902; held AL single-season record, 1901-1913 62 Billy Werber 1,264 761 503 63 Ken McMullen 1,259 1,194 65 64 Doug DeCinces 1,256 1,253 3 65 Ezra Sutton 1,252 0 896 Includes 356 in National Association; held major league record, 1882-1888 66 Ken Caminiti 1,251 42 1,209 67 Joe Mulvey 1,235 0 919 Includes 172 in American Association, 144 in Players' League 68 Charlie Irwin 1,228 0 1,228 69 Red Rolfe 1,220 1,220 0 70 Don Hoak 1,219 0 1,219 71 Red Smith 1,210 0 1,210 72 Aramis Ramírez 1,197 0 1,197 73 Chipper Jones* 1,159 0 1,159 74 Vinny Castilla 1,156 76 1,080 75 Nolan Arenado (55) 1,154 0 1,154 76 Mike Lowell 1,140 414 726 77 Doug Rader 1,138 38 1,100 78 Manny Machado (71) 1,108 553 555 78 Joe Dugan 1,099 1,086 13 80 David Wright 1,087 0 1,087 81 Jim Tabor 1,077 853 224 82 Heinie Zimmerman 1,054 0 1,054 83 Harry Lord 1,046 961 0 Includes 85 in Federal League 84 Bill Joyce 1,044 0 786 Includes 176 in Players' League, 82 in American Association 85 Tom Burns 1,043 0 1,043 Held National League single-season record, 1889-1898 86 Eric Chavez 1,035 1,000 35 87 Marv Owen 1,032 1,032 0 88 Frank Hankinson 1,029 0 575 Includes 454 in American Association; held National League single-season record, 1881-1883 89 Ossie Vitt 1,026 1,026 0 Art Whitney 1,026 0 612 Includes 285 in American Association, 129 in Players' League 91 Bob Aspromonte 1,025 0 1,025 Whitey Kurowski 1,025 0 1,025 93 Joe Randa 1,005 782 223 94 Ken Reitz 996 0 996 95 Harry Wolverton 989 99 890 96 Grady Hatton 979 191 788 97 Todd Zeile 974 183 791 98 Al Rosen 970 970 0 99 Charlie Deal 967 89 802 Includes 76 in Federal League 100 Max Alvis 962 962 0 Eddie Grant 962 0 962 Rabbit Maranville, the all-time leader in putouts by a shortstop.
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is a baseball or softball fielding position in the infield, commonly stationed between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. The position is mostly filled by defensive specialists, so shortstops are generally relatively poor batters who typically hit lower in the batting order. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the shortstop is assigned the number 6.
Putouts are most commonly recorded by shortstops by stepping on second base after receiving a throw from the first baseman, second baseman, or pitcher to force out a runner on a ground out, often beginning a double play; a shortstop generally benefits in this respect from playing alongside an excellent second baseman with great range and quickness. Other ways in which shortstops often record a putout include catching a pop-up or line drive, fielding a ground ball close enough to second base that they can step on the bag for a force out before the runner advances from first base, tagging a runner after a throw from the catcher or pitcher on a stolen base attempt or a pickoff play, receiving a throw from an outfielder to tag out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double, receiving a throw to retire a runner who fails to tag up on a fly ball out, receiving a throw to force out a runner on a bunt (possibly a sacrifice hit attempt), and tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play. Sometimes a shortstop will record a putout while covering third base if the third baseman is charging toward the plate on an expected bunt. Occasionally, a shortstop can record two putouts on a single play; with a runner taking a lead off second base and less than two out, the shortstop can catch a line drive near the base, then step on the bag before the runner can return, completing a double play; alternately, if a runner on first base breaks for second base when the ball is hit, the shortstop can catch a line drive and tag the runner before they can stop and return to first. On eight occasions in major league history, a shortstop has recorded three putouts on a single play for an unassisted triple play, always by catching a line drive, then stepping on second base and tagging the runner advancing from first base.
As strikeout totals have risen in baseball, the frequency of other defensive outs including ground outs has declined; as a result, putout totals for second basemen have likewise declined. The top five career leaders all began their careers prior to 1916, and only four of the top 16 were active after 1950, and only two of them after 1973. Through 2022, only six of the top 40 single-season totals have been recorded since 1922, and none of the top 85 since 1949; none of the top 181 have been recorded since 1964, and only three of the top 485 have been recorded since 1992. Rabbit Maranville is the all-time leader in career putouts as a shortstop with 5,139;[33][34][35] he is the only shortstop to record more than 5,000 career putouts.
Francisco Lindor, the active leader in putouts by a shortstop and 117th all-time. Bill Dahlen held the major league record for 22 years. Luis Aparicio holds the American League record. Luke Appling held the American League record for 25 years. Donie Bush held the American League record for 30 years; his 425 putouts in 1914 are the most by any shortstop since 1900. Cal Ripken Jr. led the American League in putouts a record six times.
- Stats updated as of June 21, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Putouts as a shortstop Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Rabbit Maranville* 5,139 0 5,139 2 Bill Dahlen 4,856 0 4,856 Held major league record, 1908–1930; held National League record, 1905-1930 3 Dave Bancroft* 4,623 0 4,623 4 Honus Wagner* 4,576 0 4,576 5 Tommy Corcoran 4,556 0 4,043 Includes 300 in American Association, 213 in Players' League; held major league record, 1905-1908 6 Luis Aparicio* 4,548 4,548 0 7 Luke Appling* 4,398 4,398 0 Held American League record, 1948-1973 8 Ozzie Smith* 4,249 0 4,249 9 Herman Long 4,229 142 3,752 Includes 335 in American Association; held major league record, 1898–1905; held National League record, 1899–1905; held single-season record, 1889–1890, 1891-1895 10 Bobby Wallace* 4,142 3,227 915 Held American League record, 1908-1918 11 Omar Vizquel 4,102 3,357 745 12 Pee Wee Reese* 4,040 0 4,040 13 Donie Bush 4,038 4,038 0 Held American League record, 1918–1948; holds the single-season record of 425 (set in 1914; tie) 14 Monte Cross 3,980 1,588 2,392 Held American League single-season record, 1902-1905 15 Roger Peckinpaugh 3,919 3,919 0 16 Dick Bartell 3,872 307 3,565 17 Derek Jeter* 3,820 3,820 0 18 Joe Tinker* 3,768 0 3,481 Includes 287 in Federal League 19 Roy McMillan 3,705 0 3,705 20 Joe Cronin* 3,696 3,693 3 21 Dave Concepción 3,670 0 3,670 22 Cal Ripken Jr.* 3,651 3,651 0 23 Bert Campaneris 3,608 3,608 0 24 George McBride 3,585 3,235 350 25 Mickey Doolin 3,578 0 2,924 Includes 654 in Federal League 26 Dick Groat 3,505 0 3,505 27 Garry Templeton 3,393 0 3,393 28 Alan Trammell* 3,391 3,391 0 29 Everett Scott 3,351 3,343 8 30 Larry Bowa 3,314 0 3,314 31 George Davis* 3,239 1,503 1,736 32 Phil Rizzuto* 3,219 3,219 0 33 Leo Cárdenas 3,218 1,198 2,020 34 Alfredo Griffin 3,207 2,447 760 35 Don Kessinger 3,151 260 2,891 36 Barry Larkin* 3,150 0 3,150 37 Billy Jurges 3,133 0 3,133 38 Lou Boudreau* 3,132 3,132 0 39 Leo Durocher* 3,097 243 2,854 40 Royce Clayton 3,095 992 2,103 41 Frankie Crosetti 3,061 3,061 0 42 Chris Speier 3,057 14 3,043 43 Mark Belanger 3,005 2,985 20 44 Arky Vaughan* 2,995 0 2,995 45 Marty Marion 2,986 105 2,881 46 Jimmy Rollins 2,982 47 2,935 47 Eddie Miller 2,976 0 2,976 48 Édgar Rentería 2,963 424 2,539 49 Wally Gerber 2,960 2,873 87 50 Elvis Andrus 2,925 2,925 0 51 Ed Brinkman 2,924 2,884 40 52 Ozzie Guillén 2,911 2,764 147 53 Miguel Tejada 2,891 2,378 513 54 Travis Jackson* 2,878 0 2,878 55 Art Fletcher 2,836 0 2,836 56 Orlando Cabrera 2,823 1,301 1,522 Jack Glasscock 2,823 0 2,778 Includes 45 in Union Association; held major league record, 1886–1898; held National League record, 1885–1899; held NL single-season record, 1889-1890 58 Ed McKean 2,822 0 2,507 Includes 315 in American Association 59 Germany Smith 2,816 0 1,979 Includes 797 in American Association, 40 in Union Association 60 Eddie Joost 2,755 2,039 716 61 Tony Fernández 2,708 2,132 576 62 Freddie Patek 2,690 2,261 429 63 Tim Foli 2,687 387 2,300 64 Alvin Dark 2,672 0 2,672 65 Johnny Logan 2,612 0 2,612 66 Mike Bordick 2,606 2,535 71 67 Joe Sewell* 2,591 2,591 0 68 Robin Yount* 2,588 2,588 0 69 Bones Ely 2,585 323 2,181 Includes 81 in American Association 70 Greg Gagne 2,559 2,201 358 71 Maury Wills 2,550 0 2,550 72 Bill Russell 2,536 0 2,536 73 Doc Lavan 2,451 1,300 1,151 74 Jim Fregosi 2,397 2,364 33 75 Ivy Olson 2,389 469 1,920 76 Bud Harrelson 2,387 118 2,269 77 Vern Stephens 2,385 2,385 0 78 Hughie Jennings* 2,384 1 2,202 Includes 181 in American Association; holds the single-season record of 425 (set in 1895; tie) 79 Rafael Furcal 2,373 0 2,373 Lyn Lary 2,373 2,303 70 81 Billy Rogell 2,362 2,355 7 82 Jay Bell 2,309 397 1,912 83 Shawon Dunston 2,287 13 2,274 84 Al Bridwell 2,267 0 2,050 Includes 217 in Federal League 85 Álex González 2,259 325 1,934 86 Freddy Parent 2,253 2,253 0 Held American League record, 1905-1907 87 Ray Chapman 2,204 2,204 0 88 Kid Elberfeld 2,184 2,105 79 Held American League record, 1901–1905, 1907–1908; held AL single-season record, 1901-1902 89 Brandon Crawford 2,160 0 2,160 90 Rafael Ramírez 2,159 0 2,159 91 Glenn Wright 2,156 0 2,156 92 Rick Burleson 2,151 2,151 0 93 Dick Schofield 2,140 1,932 208 94 Chico Carrasquel 2,131 2,131 0 95 Zoilo Versalles 2,126 1,890 236 96 Bucky Dent 2,116 2,116 0 97 Jhonny Peralta 2,097 1,738 359 98 Alcides Escobar 2,095 1,717 378 99 José Reyes 2,092 339 1,753 100 J. J. Hardy 2,089 1,389 700 Barry Bonds, the all-time leader in putouts by a left fielder.
The left fielder (LF) is one of the three outfielders, the defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing toward the pitcher's mound. The outfielders have to try to catch long fly balls before they hit the ground or to quickly catch or retrieve and return to the infield any other balls entering the outfield. The left fielder must also be adept at navigating the area of left field where the foul line approaches the corner of the playing field and the walls of the seating areas. Being the outfielder closest to third base, the left fielder generally does not have to throw as far as the other outfielders to throw out runners advancing around the bases, so they often do not have the strongest throwing arm, but their throws need to be accurate. The left fielder normally plays behind the third baseman and shortstop, who play in or near the infield; unlike catchers and most infielders (excepting first basemen), who are virtually exclusively right-handed, left fielders can be either right- or left-handed. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the left fielder is assigned the number 7.
The overwhelming majority of putouts recorded by left fielders, almost to exclusivity, result from catching fly balls. However, in extraordinary circumstances, an outfielder may record a putout by receiving a throw to force out or tag out a runner while covering a base if one or more infielders are out of position to retrieve an errant throw, or by tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play; however, even in such circumstances, outfielders will more typically act as a backup to infielders than cover a base themselves. Historically, putout totals for outfielders rose after 1920 with the end of the dead-ball era; the same circumstances which had kept home run totals low, such as overused baseballs and legal adulterations including the spitball, had similarly hindered the type of power hitting which lent itself to long fly balls. But as strikeout totals have risen in baseball in recent decades, the frequency of other defensive outs including flyouts has declined; as a result, putout totals for outfielders have likewise declined. Through the 2022 season, 17 of the top 20 single-season left field putout totals were recorded between 1920 and 1992; none of the top 39 have been recorded since 1997.
Because game accounts and box scores often did not distinguish between the outfield positions, there has been some difficulty in determining precise defensive statistics before 1901; because of this, and because of the similarity in their roles, defensive statistics for the three positions are frequently combined. Although efforts to distinguish between the three positions regarding games played during this period and reconstruct the separate totals have been largely successful, separate putout totals are unavailable; players whose totals are missing the figures for pre-1901 games are notated in the table below. Because they are expected to cover more territory in the outfield than their counterparts on either side, often being the fastest player of the three, center fielders typically record the highest putout totals; left fielders usually record slightly more putouts than right fielders due to the ball being more frequently hit to the left side of the field. Barry Bonds is the all-time leader in career putouts as a left fielder with 5,226.[36][37] Rickey Henderson (5,215)[38] is second all-time, and the only other player with over 5,000 career putouts as a left fielder.
Andrew Benintendi, the active leader and 85th all-time in putouts by a left fielder. Rickey Henderson holds the American League record. Zack Wheat held the major league record for 79 years. Goose Goslin held the American League record for 59 years. Roy White led American League left fielders in putouts a record eight times. Joe Vosmik's 424 putouts in 1932 remain a major league record.
- Stats updated as of July 4, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Putouts as a left fielder Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Barry Bonds 5,226 0 5,226 Holds the National League single-season record (366 in 1989) 2 Rickey Henderson* 5,215 4,526 689 Held major league record, 2000-2007 3 Zack Wheat* 4,944 107 4,837 Held modern major league record, 1921-2000; held modern National League record, 1921-2004 4 Luis Gonzalez 4,442 233 4,209 5 Goose Goslin * 3,826 3,826 0 Held American League record, 1936-1995 6 Tim Raines* 3,769 1,472 2,297 7 Lou Brock* 3,710 0 3,710 8 Bobby Veach 3,624 3,624 0 Held American League record, 1921-1936; held the single-season record, 1921-1932 9 Ted Williams* 3,541 3,541 0 10 Carl Yastrzemski* 3,521 3,521 0 11 Joe Medwick* 3,455 0 3,455 12 Jimmy Sheckard † 3,402 0 3,402 Held modern major league record, 1903-1921; held modern National League record, 1902-1921; held the single-season record, 1903-1904; held NL single-season record, 1903-1905 13 Sherry Magee 3,283 0 3,283 Held single-season record, 1905-1908 14 Bob Johnson 3,243 3,243 0 15 Carl Crawford 3,182 2,819 363 16 Roy White 3,158 3,158 0 17 Carlos Lee 3,049 1,636 1,413 18 Jim Rice* 3,027 3,027 0 19 Charlie Jamieson 2,983 2,983 0 20 George Foster 2,963 20 2,943 21 Minnie Miñoso* 2,934 2,900 34 Negro League totals unavailable 22 Matt Holliday 2,842 189 2,653 23 Billy Williams* 2,811 0 2,811 24 Fred Clarke* † 2,784 0 2,784 Held single-season record, 1908-1921 25 José Cruz 2,773 4 2,769 26 Al Simmons* 2,772 2,635 137 27 Alex Gordon 2,699 2,699 0 28 Garret Anderson 2,675 2,455 220 29 Joe Vosmik 2,613 2,524 89 Holds the single-season record of 424 (set in 1932) 30 Duffy Lewis 2,577 2,577 0 Held American League record, 1916-1921 31 Ralph Kiner* 2,543 142 2,401 32 Heinie Manush* 2,539 2,539 0 33 Greg Vaughn 2,521 1,743 778 34 Ken Williams 2,515 2,392 123 35 Raúl Ibañez 2,510 1,877 633 36 George Burns 2,506 0 2,506 37 Del Ennis 2,481 29 2,452 38 Gary Matthews 2,440 0 2,440 39 Jack Graney 2,307 2,307 0 40 Bibb Falk 2,306 2,306 0 41 Ben Oglivie 2,296 2,296 0 42 Gene Woodling 2,215 2,171 44 43 Jeff Heath 2,214 1,960 254 44 Joe Rudi 2,208 2,208 0 45 Shannon Stewart 2,192 2,192 0 46 Bob Bescher 2,191 0 2,191 47 Jason Bay 2,183 443 1,740 48 Lonnie Smith 2,173 502 1,671 49 Ryan Braun 2,151 0 2,151 50 Vince Coleman 2,109 344 1,765 51 Ron Gant 2,108 53 2,055 52 Albert Belle 2,107 2,107 0 53 Jo-Jo Moore 2,092 0 2,092 54 George Bell 2,080 1,831 249 55 Gus Zernial 2,070 2,070 0 56 Mike Greenwell 2,031 2,031 0 57 Lou Piniella 2,025 2,025 0 58 Pat Burrell 2,016 0 2,016 59 Irish Meusel 1,981 1 1,980 60 Babe Ruth* 1,978 1,955 23 61 Topsy Hartsel † 1,976 1,710 266 Held American League record, 1907-1909 62 Carson Bigbee 1,953 0 1,953 63 Hank Sauer 1,941 0 1,941 64 Moisés Alou 1,938 0 1,938 65 Augie Galan 1,918 11 1,907 66 Kevin McReynolds 1,883 375 1,508 67 Alfonso Soriano 1,881 120 1,761 68 Willie Stargell* 1,863 0 1,863 69 Dusty Baker 1,861 106 1,755 70 Greg Luzinski 1,839 0 1,839 71 Charlie Keller 1,834 1,834 0 72 Justin Upton 1,819 1,139 680 73 Cliff Floyd 1,814 31 1,783 74 Bernard Gilkey 1,798 6 1,792 75 Adam Dunn 1,794 18 1,776 76 Steve Kemp 1,786 1,670 116 77 Gary Ward 1,783 1,783 0 78 Patsy Dougherty 1,777 1,777 0 Held American League record, 1911-1916 79 Matty McIntyre 1,749 1,749 0 Held American League record, 1909-1911; held the single-season record, 1904-1905; held AL single-season record, 1904-1916 80 Brett Gardner 1,747 1,747 0 81 Luis Polonia 1,740 1,730 10 82 Dale Mitchell 1,739 1,736 3 83 Willie Horton 1,735 1,735 0 84 Geoff Jenkins 1,690 0 1,690 85 Andrew Benintendi (79) 1,663 1,663 0 86 Dan Gladden 1,662 1,646 16 87 Larry Herndon 1,646 1,310 336 88 Steve Henderson 1,635 349 1,286 89 Tommy Davis 1,634 451 1,183 90 Riggs Stephenson 1,632 0 1,632 91 B. J. Surhoff 1,626 1,376 250 92 Rusty Greer 1,621 1,621 0 93 Manny Ramirez 1,597 1,299 298 94 Melky Cabrera 1,590 1,295 295 95 Charlie Maxwell 1,579 1,579 0 Christian Yelich (16) 1,579 0 1,579 97 Phil Bradley 1,575 1,281 294 98 Stan Musial* 1,571 0 1,571 99 Sid Gordon 1,556 0 1,556 100 Willie Wilson 1,552 1,552 0 Willie Mays, the all-time leader in putouts by a center fielder.
The center fielder (CF) is one of the three outfielders, the defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. Center field is the area of the outfield directly in front of a person standing at home plate and facing beyond the pitcher's mound. The outfielders' duty is to try to catch long fly balls before they hit the ground or to quickly catch or retrieve and return to the infield any other balls entering the outfield. Generally having the most territory to cover, the center fielder is usually the fastest of the three outfielders, although this can also depend on the relative strength of their throwing arms and the configuration of their home field, due to the deepest part of center field being the farthest point from the infield and home plate. The center fielder normally plays behind the shortstop and second baseman, who play in or near the infield; unlike catchers and most infielders (excepting first basemen), who are virtually exclusively right-handed, center fielders can be either right- or left-handed. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the center fielder is assigned the number 8.
The overwhelming majority of putouts recorded by center fielders, almost to exclusivity, result from catching fly balls. However, in extraordinary circumstances, an outfielder may record a putout by receiving a throw to force out or tag out a runner while covering a base if one or more infielders are out of position to retrieve an errant throw, or by tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play; however, even in such circumstances, outfielders will more typically act as a backup to infielders than cover a base themselves. Historically, putout totals for outfielders rose after 1920 with the end of the dead-ball era; the same circumstances that had kept home run totals low, such as overused baseballs and legal adulterations including the spitball, had similarly hindered the type of power hitting which lent itself to long fly balls. But as strikeout totals have risen in baseball in recent decades, the frequency of other defensive outs including flyouts has declined; as a result, putout totals for outfielders have likewise declined. Through the 2022 season, 27 of the top 30 single-season center field putout totals were recorded between 1924 and 1986; only five of the top 112 have been recorded since 2003.
Because game accounts and box scores often did not distinguish between the outfield positions, there has been some difficulty in determining precise defensive statistics before 1901; because of this, and because of the similarity in their roles, defensive statistics for the three positions are frequently combined. Although efforts to distinguish between the three positions regarding games played during this period and reconstruct the separate totals have been largely successful, separate putout totals are unavailable; players whose totals are missing the figures for pre-1901 games are notated in the table below. Because they are expected to cover more territory in the outfield than their counterparts on either side, often being the fastest player of the three, center fielders typically record the highest putout totals; six of the top seven career leaders in outfield putouts, and 14 of the top 18, were center fielders. Willie Mays is the all-time leader in putouts as a center fielder with 7,024;[39][40][41] he is the only player to record more than 7,000 career putouts as a center fielder.
Mike Trout, the active leader and 50th all-time in putouts by a center fielder. Tris Speaker holds the American League record. Richie Ashburn led the National League in putouts a record nine times, and holds seven of the top 16 single-season totals. Max Carey held the National League record for 34 years. Joe DiMaggio retired with the 7th-most putouts in history despite missing three prime seasons in World War II. Taylor Douthit was the first center fielder to record 500 putouts in one season, and held the single-season record for 23 years.
- Stats updated as of March 29, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Putouts as a center fielder Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Willie Mays* 7,024 0 7,024 2 Tris Speaker* 6,757 6,757 0 Held modern major league record, 1915-1971; held the single-season record, 1914-1917; held the American League single-season record, 1914-1920 3 Richie Ashburn* 5,803 0 5,803 Held National League record, 1958-1967; holds the single-season record of 532 (set in 1951) 4 Steve Finley 5,348 439 4,909 5 Willie Davis 5,279 100 5,179 6 Ty Cobb* 5,156 5,156 0 Held the modern single-season record, 1911-1914 7 Ken Griffey Jr.* 5,147 3,706 1,441 8 Brett Butler 4,947 1,704 3,243 9 Kenny Lofton 4,758 3,554 1,204 10 Amos Otis 4,743 4,696 47 11 Marquis Grissom 4,706 354 4,352 12 Mike Cameron 4,700 2,437 2,263 13 Doc Cramer 4,661 4,661 0 14 Max Carey* 4,580 0 4,580 Held National League record, 1924-1958; held the single-season record, 1917-1920, 1923-1924; held NL single-season record, 1917-1928 15 Bernie Williams 4,576 4,576 0 16 Andruw Jones 4,456 33 4,423 17 Devon White 4,413 3,091 1,322 18 Garry Maddox 4,387 0 4,387 19 Jim Edmonds 4,341 1,522 2,819 20 Edd Roush* 4,327 3 3,989 Includes 335 in Federal League 21 Paul Blair 4,270 4,167 103 22 Lloyd Waner* 4,225 0 4,225 23 Joe DiMaggio* 4,161 4,161 0 24 Carlos Beltrán 4,133 2,025 2,108 25 Fred Lynn 4,093 4,080 13 26 Chet Lemon 4,081 4,081 0 Holds the American League single-season record
(509 in 1977) 27 Curt Flood 4,019 17 4,002 28 Mickey Mantle* 4,016 4,016 0 29 Adam Jones 3,964 3,962 2 30 Torii Hunter 3,948 3,948 0 31 Kirby Puckett* 3,853 3,853 0 32 Vada Pinson 3,816 368 3,448 33 Bill Bruton 3,808 1,264 2,544 34 Earl Averill* 3,699 3,697 2 35 Duke Snider* 3,641 0 3,641 36 Bill Virdon 3,637 0 3,637 37 César Cedeño 3,636 0 3,636 38 Rick Manning 3,533 3,533 0 39 Clyde Milan 3,518 3,518 0 40 Dom DiMaggio 3,513 3,513 0 41 Willie Wilson 3,465 3,346 119 42 Dwayne Murphy 3,442 3,439 3 43 Sam West 3,412 3,412 0 44 Larry Doby* 3,395 3,393 0 Includes 2 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) 45 Cy Williams 3,383 0 3,383 46 Lance Johnson 3,379 2,358 1,021 47 Dode Paskert 3,378 0 3,378 Held modern National League record, 1917-1924 48 Lloyd Moseby 3,349 3,349 0 49 Willie McGee 3,336 137 3,199 50 Jim Busby 3,265 3,261 4 Held the American League single-season record, 1954-1977 51 Omar Moreno 3,253 432 2,821 52 Rick Monday 3,246 1,329 1,917 53 Mike Trout (0) 3,236 3,236 0 54 Johnny Damon 3,144 3,144 0 55 Vernon Wells 3,132 3,132 0 56 Jimmy Piersall 3,121 3,058 63 57 Lenny Dykstra 3,090 0 3,090 58 Brian McRae 3,084 1,616 1,468 59 Robin Yount* 3,056 3,056 0 60 Curtis Granderson 2,989 2,792 197 61 Mickey Rivers 2,967 2,967 0 62 Andrew McCutchen (0) 2,959 0 2,959 63 Gary Pettis 2,940 2,924 16 64 Dave Henderson 2,926 2,916 10 65 Baby Doll Jacobson 2,911 2,911 0 Held the single-season record, 1924-1928; held the American League single-season record, 1924-1954 66 Earle Combs* 2,898 2,898 0 67 Taylor Douthit 2,873 0 2,873 Held the single-season record, 1928-1951 68 Sam Chapman 2,846 2,846 0 69 Andre Dawson* 2,826 0 2,826 70 Hy Myers 2,818 0 2,818 71 Ray Lankford 2,804 0 2,804 72 Carlos Gómez 2,781 1,234 1,547 73 Andy Van Slyke 2,762 40 2,722 74 Coco Crisp 2,761 2,761 0 75 Bill North 2,759 1,800 959 76 B. J. Upton 2,758 2,061 697 77 Otis Nixon 2,751 1,606 1,145 78 Jim Landis 2,745 2,743 2 79 Mike Kreevich 2,742 2,741 1 80 Juan Pierre 2,740 0 2,740 81 Aaron Rowand 2,729 1,060 1,669 82 Michael Bourn 2,699 689 2,010 83 Del Unser 2,684 1,306 1,378 84 Mookie Wilson 2,682 406 2,276 85 Jimmy Wynn 2,669 0 2,669 86 Mickey Stanley 2,666 2,666 0 87 Terry Moore 2,651 0 2,651 88 Denard Span 2,632 1,165 1,467 89 Bill Tuttle 2,600 2,600 0 90 Gorman Thomas 2,582 2,582 0 91 Jacoby Ellsbury 2,575 2,575 0 92 Lorenzo Cain 2,566 1,615 951 93 Ruppert Jones 2,543 1,684 859 94 Roy Thomas † 2,526 0 2,526 Held modern major league record, 1905-1915; held modern National League record, 1902-1917; held the modern single-season record, 1905-1911; held modern NL single-season record, 1903-1917 95 Bobby Thomson 2,516 36 2,480 96 César Gerónimo 2,505 77 2,428 97 Fred Schulte 2,493 2,371 122 98 Vince DiMaggio 2,490 0 2,490 99 Kevin Kiermaier 2,438 2,375 63 100 Austin Jackson 2,432 2,228 204 Paul Waner, the all-time leader in putouts by a right fielder.
The right fielder (RF) is one of the three outfielders, the defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. The right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing toward the pitcher's mound. The outfielders must try to catch long fly balls before they hit the ground or to quickly catch or retrieve and return to the infield any other balls entering the outfield. The right fielder must also be adept at navigating the area of the right field where the foul line approaches the corner of the playing field and the walls of the seating areas. Being the outfielder farthest from third base, the right fielder often has to make longer throws than the other outfielders to throw out runners advancing around the bases, so they often have the strongest or most accurate throwing arm. The right fielder normally plays behind the second baseman and first baseman, who play in or near the infield; unlike catchers and most infielders (excepting first basemen), who are virtually exclusively right-handed, right fielders can be either right- or left-handed. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the right fielder is assigned the number 9, the highest number.
The overwhelming majority of putouts recorded by right fielders, almost to exclusivity, result from catching fly balls. However, in extraordinary circumstances, an outfielder may record a putout by receiving a throw to force out or tag out a runner while covering a base if one or more infielders are out of position to retrieve an errant throw, or by tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play; however, even in such circumstances, outfielders will more typically act as a backup to infielders than cover a base themselves. Historically, putout totals for outfielders rose after 1920 with the end of the dead-ball era; the same circumstances which had kept home run totals low, such as overused baseballs and legal adulterations including the spitball, had similarly hindered the type of power hitting which lent itself to long fly balls. As strikeout totals have risen in baseball in recent decades, the frequency of other defensive outs including flyouts has declined; as a result, putout totals for outfielders have generally declined, but right fielders have largely defied this trend. Eight of the top nine players, and 17 of the top 20, were active entirely after 1950. Through the 2022 season, none of the top 251 single-season right field putout totals were recorded before 1920, and only 45 were recorded before 1960; nine of the top twelve, and 40 of the top 79, have been recorded since 1996.
Because game accounts and box scores often did not distinguish between the outfield positions, there has been some difficulty in determining precise defensive statistics before 1901; because of this, and because of the similarity in their roles, defensive statistics for the three positions are frequently combined. Although efforts to distinguish between the three positions regarding games played during this period and reconstruct the separate totals have been largely successful, separate putout totals are unavailable; players whose totals are missing the figures for pre-1901 games are notated in the table below. Because they are expected to cover more territory in the outfield than their counterparts on either side, often being the fastest player of the three, center fielders typically records the highest putout totals; left fielders usually records slightly more putouts than right fielders due to the ball being more frequently hit to the left side of the field. Paul Waner is the all-time leader in career putouts by a right fielder with 4,533.[42][43][44] Roberto Clemente (4,459),[45] Dwight Evans (4,247),[46] Hank Aaron (4,161),[47] Tony Gwynn (4,052),[48] Nick Markakis (4,025),[49] Sammy Sosa (4,017),[50] and Ichiro Suzuki (4,005)[51] are the only other right fielders to record over 4,000 career putouts.
Jason Heyward, the active leader in putouts by a right fielder and 25th all-time. Dwight Evans holds the American League record. Ichiro Suzuki tied the major league record with 381 putouts in 2005. Harry Hooper held the American League record for 54 years, and led the AL in putouts a record ten times. Dave Parker's 381 putouts in 1977 remain the major league record. Babe Herman held the single-season record for 45 years.
- Stats updated as of July 5, 2025.
Rank Player (2025 POs) Putouts as a right fielder Other leagues, notes MLB American League National League 1 Paul Waner* 4,533 0 4,533 2 Roberto Clemente* 4,459 0 4,459 3 Dwight Evans 4,247 4,247 0 4 Hank Aaron* 4,161 0 4,161 5 Tony Gwynn* 4,052 0 4,052 6 Nick Markakis 4,025 2,605 1,420 7 Sammy Sosa 4,017 676 3,341 8 Ichiro Suzuki* 4,005 3,743 262 Holds the single-season record of 381 (tied in 2005) 9 Al Kaline* 3,865 3,865 0 Held American League record, 1972-1988 10 Mel Ott* 3,767 0 3,767 11 Bobby Abreu 3,733 1,126 2,607 12 Dave Winfield* 3,657 1,892 1,765 13 Dave Parker* 3,633 2 3,631 Holds the single-season record of 381 (set in 1977) 14 Reggie Jackson* 3,624 3,624 0 15 Paul O'Neill 3,544 2,219 1,325 16 Harry Hooper* 3,397 3,397 0 Held modern major league record, 1920-1938; held American League record, 1918-1972; held AL single-season record, 1915-1917 (tie), 1922-1923 17 Jermaine Dye 3,237 3,113 124 Held American League single-season record, 1999-2004 18 Vladimir Guerrero* 3,166 1,220 1,946 19 Magglio Ordóñez 3,155 3,155 0 20 Wally Moses 3,154 3,154 0 21 Tom Brunansky 3,146 2,557 589 22 Larry Walker* 3,124 0 3,124 23 Shawn Green 3,053 1,129 1,924 24 Johnny Callison 2,954 170 2,784 25 Jason Heyward (4) 2,926 19 2,907 26 Bobby Bonds 2,918 1,191 1,727 27 Rusty Staub 2,907 231 2,676 28 Hunter Pence 2,889 15 2,874 29 Jay Bruce 2,827 94 2,733 30 Jesse Barfield 2,773 2,773 0 31 Tim Salmon 2,700 2,700 0 Held American League single-season record, 1997-1999 32 Rubén Sierra 2,626 2,603 23 33 Bill Nicholson 2,576 1 2,575 34 Raúl Mondesí 2,571 879 1,692 35 Enos Slaughter* 2,569 276 2,296 36 Sam Rice* 2,501 2,501 0 Held American League single-season record, 1917-1922, 1923-1926 37 Jeromy Burnitz 2,473 250 2,223 38 Carl Furillo 2,467 0 2,467 39 Jay Buhner 2,450 2,450 0 40 Alex Ríos 2,446 2,446 0 41 Jeff Francoeur 2,428 684 1,744 42 Al Cowens 2,389 2,389 0 43 J. D. Drew 2,352 1,018 1,334 44 Chuck Klein* 2,342 0 2,342 45 Darryl Strawberry 2,337 30 2,307 46 Reggie Sanders 2,310 197 2,113 47 Rocky Colavito 2,295 2,278 17 48 Andre Dawson* 2,280 42 2,238 49 Sam Crawford* † 2,274 1,868 406 Held modern major league record, 1914-1920; held modern National League record, 1902-1903; held American League record, 1913-1918 50 Jackie Jensen 2,269 2,269 0 51 Tony Oliva* 2,260 2,260 0 52 Frank Robinson* 2,252 1,095 1,157 53 Curt Walker 2,251 0 2,251 Held modern National League record, 1929-1933 54 Harry Heilmann* 2,246 1,975 271 55 Ken Singleton 2,245 1,535 710 56 José Guillén 2,213 914 1,299 57 Giancarlo Stanton (0) 2,183 181 2,002 58 Sixto Lezcano 2,137 1,447 690 59 Kole Calhoun 2,134 1,965 169 60 Dixie Walker 2,103 271 1,832 61 Babe Ruth* 2,100 2,095 5 62 Mookie Betts (0) 2,050 1,270 780 63 Gary Sheffield 2,042 562 1,480 64 Hank Bauer 2,033 2,033 0 65 Roger Maris 2,018 1,627 391 66 Ross Youngs* 1,996 0 1,996 67 Harold Baines* 1,982 1,982 0 68 Josh Reddick 1,958 1,819 139 69 Brian Jordan 1,956 94 1,862 70 Tommy Griffith 1.941 0 1,941 Held modern National League record, 1924-1929 71 Jack Clark 1,939 29 1,910 72 Pete Fox 1,938 1,938 0 73 Jayson Werth 1,921 45 1,876 74 Bruce Campbell 1,912 1,912 0 75 José Bautista 1,907 1,742 165 76 Shin-Soo Choo 1,893 1,893 0 77 Bing Miller 1,876 1,876 0 78 Rob Deer 1,871 1,825 46 79 Babe Herman 1,862 0 1,862 Held the single-season record, 1932-1977 80 Ival Goodman 1,852 0 1,852 81 Claudell Washington 1,844 844 1,000 Glenn Wilson 1,844 365 1,479 83 Chief Wilson 1,840 0 1,840 Held modern National League record, 1916-1924; held the single-season record, 1909-1920 84 Ken Griffey Sr. 1,816 227 1,589 85 John Titus 1,795 0 1,795 Held modern major league record, 1911-1914; held modern National League record, 1909-1916 86 Elmer Valo 1,781 1,593 188 87 Nick Castellanos (138) 1,770 532 1,238 Nelson Cruz 1,770 1,766 4 89 Austin Kearns 1,766 80 1,686 90 Don Mueller 1,758 57 1,701 91 Max Flack 1,731 0 1,597 Includes 134 in Federal League 92 Jack Tobin 1,727 1,378 0 Includes 349 in Federal League 93 Max Kepler (12) 1,723 1,711 12 Trot Nixon 1,723 1,714 9 95 David Justice 1,693 196 1,497 96 Brian Giles 1,686 45 1,641 97 Frank Schulte 1,674 75 1,599 98 Willard Marshall 1,671 34 1,637 99 Reggie Smith 1,670 373 1,297 100 Tommy Henrich 1,668 1,668 0
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- ^ "Roberto Clemente Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
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