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

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Jake Beckley, the all-time leader in career putouts by a first 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 (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 fly out), or being positioned closest to a runner called out for interference. 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[1][2][3] is the all-time leader in career putouts as a first baseman with 23,755. Cap Anson[4] (21,699), Ed Konetchy[5] (21,361), Eddie Murray[6] (21,255), and Charlie Grimm[7] (20,711) are the only other players to record 20,000 career putouts.

Key

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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 first baseman in Major League Baseball
* Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame
Bold Denotes active player[a]

List

[edit]
Freddy Freeman, the active leader in putouts as a first baseman and 41st 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 August 2, 2024.
Rank Player (2024 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 John Olerud 16,165 12,271 3,894
35 Wally Joyner 16,081 11,926 4,155
36 Bill Terry* 15,972 0 15,972
37 Paul Konerko 15,936 15,725 211
38 Harry Davis 15,666 13,423 2,243 Held American League record, 1906-1920
39 Lu Blue 15,644 15,642 2
40 Freddie Freeman (735) 15,438 0 15,438
41 Fred Merkle 15,419 34 15,385
42 George Scott 15,405 15,405 0
43 Gil Hodges* 15,344 0 15,344
44 Norm Cash 15,157 15,157 0
45 Carlos Delgado 15,144 10,236 4,908
46 Paul Goldschmidt (838) 15,086 0 15,086
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 (0) 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 Fred Luderus 13,126 0 13,126
70 Gus Suhr 13,103 0 13,103
71 Joe Adcock 13,006 2,921 10,085
72 Anthony Rizzo (450) 12,976 2,333 10,643
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


Other Hall of Famers

[edit]
Player Putouts as first baseman Other leagues, notes
MLB American League National League
Rod Carew* 10,930 10,930 0
Hank Greenberg* 10,564 9,581 983
Frank Chance* 9,885 87 9,798
Jim Thome* 9,165 6,262 2,903
Stan Musial* 8,709 0 8,709
Frank Thomas* 7,910 7,910 0
Harmon Killebrew* 7,521 7,521 0
Willie Stargell* 7,293 0 7,293
Carl Yastrzemski* 6,459 6,459 0
Joe Torre* 6,342 0 6,342
Joe Mauer* 4,873 4,873 0
Ben Taylor* 4,835 0 0 Includes 2,966 in Negro National League (first), 1,612 in Eastern Colored League,
257 in American Negro League (incomplete)
Harry Heilmann* 4,389 4,162 227
Buck Leonard* 4,300 0 0 Includes 4,300 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete)
George Brett* 4,064 4,064 0
Mule Suttles* 3,281 0 0 Includes 1,448 in Negro National League (first), 1,365 in Negro National League (second),
468 in East–West League (incomplete)
Hughie Jennings* 3,085 11 2,900 Includes 174 in American Association
Nap Lajoie* 2,798 1,349 1,449
Ed Delahanty* 2,589 148 2,440 Includes 1 in Players' League
Oscar Charleston* 2,555 0 0 Includes 1,820 in Negro National League (second), 609 in Negro National League (first),
101 in American Negro League, 25 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete)
Joe Kelley* 2,554 37 2,517
Frank Robinson* 2,364 551 1,813
Buck Ewing* 2,331 0 2,331
Honus Wagner* 2,314 0 2,314
Mickey Mantle* 2,284 2,284 0
Jud Wilson* 2,217 0 0 Includes 1,581 in Negro National League (second), 488 in American Negro League,
148 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete)
Jim O'Rourke* 2,100 0 951 Includes 1,149 in National Association
David Ortiz* 1,983 1,983 0
Buck O'Neil* 1,897 0 0 Includes 1,897 in Negro American League (incomplete)
Paul Molitor* 1,716 1,716 0
Jackie Robinson* 1,655 0 1,645 Includes 10 in Negro American League (incomplete)
Ted Simmons* 1,561 605 956
Deacon White* 1,283 0 684 Includes 582 in the Players' League, 17 in National Association
Martín Dihigo* 406 0 0 Includes 218 in Eastern Colored League, 153 in American Negro League,
35 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete)

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

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  1. ^ "Jake Beckley Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  2. ^ Fleitz, David. "Jake Beckley Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  3. ^ "Jake Beckley Hall of Fame Profile". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  4. ^ "Cap Anson Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  5. ^ "Ed Konetchy Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  6. ^ "Eddie Murray Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Charlie Grimm Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
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