In baseball, an assist (denoted by A) is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is credited to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball (after it has been hit by the batter) prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional. For example, if a ball strikes a player's leg and bounces off him to another fielder, who tags the baserunner, the first player is credited with an assist. A fielder can receive a maximum of one assist per out recorded. An assist is also credited if a putout would have occurred, had another fielder not committed an error. For example, a shortstop might field a ground ball cleanly, but the first baseman might drop his throw. In this case, an error would be charged to the first baseman, and the shortstop would be credited with an assist.
Catcher is a 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.
Deacon McGuire[1][2] is the all-time leader with 1,860 career assists. Only 48 catchers have recorded 1,000 or more career assists, with Yadier Molina[3] being the only one active.
Key[edit]
Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career assists. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2022 As) | Number of recorded assists during the 2022 Major League Baseball season. |
A | Total career assists. |
* | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Bold | Denotes active player.[a] |
List[edit]
- Stats updated as of April 24, 2022
Notes[edit]
- ^ A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.
References[edit]
- ^ "Deacon McGuire Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ Bigelow, Robert W. "Deacon Mcguire Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
- ^ "Yadier Molina Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
External links[edit]
- "Career Leaders & Records for Assists as C". Baseball-Reference.com.