In Major League Baseball (MLB), records play an integral part in evaluating a player's impact on the sport. Holding a career record almost guarantees a player eventual entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame because it represents both longevity and consistency over a long period of time. (For Japanese baseball records see Nippon Professional Baseball)
Batting records (1875–present)
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Josh_Gibson_1931c.jpg/220px-Josh_Gibson_1931c.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/20060825_Barry_Bonds_follow_through.jpg/220px-20060825_Barry_Bonds_follow_through.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Ichiro_Cropped_AL.jpg/220px-Ichiro_Cropped_AL.jpg)
Record | Player | # | Refs |
---|---|---|---|
Highest batting average | Josh Gibson | .372 | |
Most singles | Pete Rose | 3,215 | [1] |
Most doubles | Tris Speaker | 792 | [2] |
Most triples | Sam Crawford | 309 | [3] |
Most home runs | Barry Bonds | 762 | [4] |
Most grand slams | Alex Rodriguez | 25 | |
Most home runs by a pitcher | Wes Ferrell | 37 | |
Most grand slams by a pitcher | shared by Madison Bumgarner and Tony Cloninger |
2 | [5] [6] |
Oldest player to hit first home run | Bartolo Colón | 42 years, 349 days old | [7] |
Youngest player to hit a home run | Tommy Brown | 17 years, 257 days old | [8] |
Most runs batted in | Hank Aaron | 2,297 | [9] |
Most hits | Pete Rose | 4,256 | [10] |
Most runs scored | Rickey Henderson | 2,295 | [11] |
Highest on-base percentage | Ted Williams | .482 | [12] |
Most stolen bases | Rickey Henderson | 1,406 | [13] |
Most steals of home | Ty Cobb | 54 | |
Highest slugging percentage | Josh Gibson | .718 | |
Highest on-base plus slugging | Josh Gibson | 1.177 | |
Most walks | Barry Bonds | 2,558 | [14] |
Most intentional walks | Barry Bonds | 688 | [15] |
Most strikeouts | Reggie Jackson | 2,597 | [16] |
Most at-bats | Pete Rose | 14,555 | [17] |
Most total bases | Hank Aaron | 6,856 | [18] |
Most runs created | Barry Bonds | 2,892 | [19] |
Most games played | Pete Rose | 3,562 | [20] |
Pitching records (1876–present)
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Cy_Young_by_Conlon%2C_1911-crop.jpg/220px-Cy_Young_by_Conlon%2C_1911-crop.jpg)
Record | Player | # |
---|---|---|
Most wins | Cy Young | 511 |
Most losses | Cy Young | 316 |
Most no-hitters | Nolan Ryan | 7 |
Most strikeouts | Nolan Ryan | 5,714 |
Most shutouts | Walter Johnson | 110 |
Most pickoffs | Steve Carlton | 144 |
Most innings pitched | Cy Young | 7,354+2⁄3 |
Most hit batsmen | Gus Weyhing | 278 |
Most home runs allowed | Jamie Moyer | 522 |
Most complete games | Cy Young | 749 |
Lowest earned-run average | Ed Walsh | 1.82 |
Lowest walks plus hits per inning pitched | Addie Joss | .968 |
Most saves | Mariano Rivera | 652 |
Highest win–loss percentage | Spud Chandler | 71.7% |
Most games | Jesse Orosco | 1,252 |
Most consecutive scoreless innings pitched | Orel Hershiser | 59[a] |
Live-ball era (1920–present)
[edit](if different from overall records)
Record | Player | # |
---|---|---|
Most wins | Warren Spahn | 363 |
Most losses | Nolan Ryan | 292 |
Lowest earned-run average | Mariano Rivera | 2.21 |
Most shutouts | Warren Spahn | 63 |
Most innings pitched | Phil Niekro | 5,404+1⁄3 |
Most complete games | Warren Spahn | 382 |
Lowest Walks plus hits per inning pitched | Mariano Rivera | 1.000 |
Catcher records
[edit]- Most runners caught stealing: 810, Deacon McGuire[21]
- Most stolen bases allowed: 1,498, Deacon McGuire[22]
- Most stolen base attempts: 2,308, Deacon McGuire
- Highest caught stealing %: 57.40%, Roy Campanella[23]
- Most games caught: 2,427, Iván Rodríguez[24]
- Most caught no hitters: 4, Jason Varitek, May 19, 2008 and Carlos Ruiz, July 25, 2015.
Other records
[edit]- Most World Series wins (as a player/coach/manager/executive): 17, Frankie Crosetti[25]
- Most World Series wins (as a player): 10, Yogi Berra[26]
- Most World Series wins (as a manager): 7, Casey Stengel, Joe McCarthy
- Most consecutive World Series wins (as a manager): 5, Casey Stengel
- Most pennants won: 10, Casey Stengel, John McGraw
- Most World Series appearances (as a manager): 10, Casey Stengel
- Most World Series appearances (as a team): 40, New York Yankees
- Most World Series titles (as a team): 27, New York Yankees
- Most MVP Awards won: 7, Barry Bonds
- Most consecutive games played: 2,632, Cal Ripken Jr.
See also
[edit]- List of Major League Baseball single-game records
- List of Major League Baseball single-season records
- List of Major League Baseball records considered unbreakable
Notes
[edit]- ^ Even though Hershiser's 59 consecutive scoreless innings occurred completely within the 1988 season, other pitchers have had streaks spanning more than one season. Thus, it is necessary to put the record over a career.
References
[edit]- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Singles". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Doubles". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Triples". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Home Runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants Box Score, July 3, 1966". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020. Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants Box Score, July 3, 1966
- ^ "Giants' Madison Bumgarner Becomes 2nd Pitcher with 2 Grand Slams in a Season". BleacherReport.com. Retrieved October 9, 2020. Giants' Madison Bumgarner Becomes 2nd Pitcher with 2 Grand Slams in a Season
- ^ "Single-Season Leaders & Records for Total Bases". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 27, 2012. Mets Pitcher Bartolo Colon Becomes Oldest Player to Hit First Home Run
- ^ "Home Run Records by Age". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Runs Batted In". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Hits". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Runs Scored". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for On-Base%". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Stolen Bases". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Bases on Balls". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Intentional Bases on Balls". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for At Bats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Total Bases". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Runs Created". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Games Played". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Career Leaders &Records for Caught Stealing as C - Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Career Leaders &Records for Stolen Bases Allowed as C - Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Career Leaders &Records for Caught Stealing % - Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Def. Games as C".
- ^ "Frankie Crosetti - Society for American Baseball Research". SABR. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
- ^ "Phil Jackson, Bill Russell among few in same breath as Yogi Berra". ESPN. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
External links
[edit]- All-time records at Baseball-Reference.com
- Unbreakable Baseball Records – slideshow by Life magazine