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List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a second baseman leaders

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Bid McPhee, the all-time leader in career putouts by a second baseman

In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by PO or fly out when appropriate) is given to a defensive player who records an out by tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base, 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. 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.[1] 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,[2][3][4] 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[5] (6,526) and Nellie Fox[6] (6,090) are the only other second basemen with over 6,000 career putouts.

Key

[edit]
Rank Rank amongst leaders in career putouts. A blank field indicates a tie.
Player (2024 POs) Number of recorded putouts during the 2024 Major League Baseball season
MLB Total career putouts as a second baseman in Major League Baseball
* Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame
Bold Denotes active player[a]

List

[edit]
José Altuve, the active leader in putouts as a second baseman and 102nd 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 22, 2024.
Rank Player (2023 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 Jim Gilliam 2,546 0 2,279 Includes 267 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete)
98 Chuck Knoblauch 2,529 2,529 0
99 Dick Green 2,518 2,518 0
100 Hobe Ferris 2,501 2,501 0 Held American League record, 1902-1903, 1904-1908; held AL single-season record, 1907-1908

Other Hall of Famers

[edit]
Player Putouts as second baseman Other leagues, notes
MLB American League National League
Jackie Robinson* 1,877 0 1,877
Rabbit Maranville* 1,268 0 1,268
John Montgomery Ward* 1,226 0 1,226
Paul Molitor* 926 926 0
George Kelly* 337 0 337
Ed Delahanty* 316 0 262 Includes 54 in Players' League
John Henry Lloyd* 244 0 0 Includes 244 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete)
Roger Connor* 239 0 239
George Davis* 239 195 44
Ray Dandridge* 86 0 0 Includes 86 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete)
Joe Cronin* 58 1 57
Martín Dihigo* 39 0 0 Includes 28 in American Negro League, 7 in Negro National League (second),
4 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete)
Adrián Beltré* 0 0 0
Frank Grant* 0 0 0 Unavailable pre-Negro league figures

Notes

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  1. ^ A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or has not played for a full season.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "From 1950 to 2013, Throws LH, Played: 2B". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  2. ^ "Bid McPhee Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  3. ^ Moses, Ralph. "Bid McPhee Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "Bid McPhee Hall of Fame Profile". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  5. ^ "Eddie Collins Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  6. ^ "Nellie Fox Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
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