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)

Babe Ruth (left) holds the record for highest slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging while Ty Cobb (right) holds the records for highest batting average and most steals of home.
Babe Ruth (left) holds the record for highest slugging percentage, and on-base plus slugging while Ty Cobb (right) holds the records for highest batting average and most steals of home.
Barry Bonds holds the most hitting records with ten, most notably the career home run and single-season home run records.
Barry Bonds holds the most hitting records with ten, most notably the career home run and single-season home run records.
Ichiro Suzuki collected 262 hits in 2004, breaking George Sisler's 84-year-old record for most hits in a season.
Ichiro Suzuki collected 262 hits in 2004, breaking George Sisler's 84-year-old record for most hits in a season.
Record Player # Refs
Highest batting average Ty Cobb .366
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 Babe Ruth .690 [14]
Highest on-base plus slugging Babe Ruth 1.164 [15]
Most walks Barry Bonds 2,558 [16]
Most intentional walks Barry Bonds 688 [17]
Most strikeouts Reggie Jackson 2,597 [18]
Most at-bats Pete Rose 14,555 [19]
Most total bases Hank Aaron 6,856 [20]
Most runs created Barry Bonds 2,892 [21]
Most games played Pete Rose 3,562 [22]

Pitching records (1876–present)

Cy Young, the Major League record holder for most career wins, losses, innings pitched, and complete games.
Cy Young, the Major League record holder for most career wins, losses, innings pitched, and complete games.
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 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)

(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

Note: Pre-1950 stolen base data is incomplete; career leaders shown from 1950 to present.

Other records

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 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

  1. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Singles". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  2. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Doubles". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  3. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Triples". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  4. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Home Runs". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  5. ^ "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
  6. ^ "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
  7. ^ "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
  8. ^ "Home Run Records by Age". Baseball-Almanac.com. Retrieved June 29, 2017.
  9. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Runs Batted In". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  10. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Hits". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  11. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Runs Scored". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  12. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for On-Base%". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  13. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Stolen Bases". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  14. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Slugging %". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  15. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for On-Base Plus Slugging". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  16. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Bases on Balls". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  17. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Intentional Bases on Balls". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  18. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  19. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for At Bats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  20. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Total Bases". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  21. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Runs Created". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  22. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Games Played". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
  23. ^ "Career Leaders &Records for Caught Stealing as C - Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  24. ^ "Career Leaders &Records for Stolen Bases Allowed as C - Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  25. ^ "Career Leaders &Records for Caught Stealing % - Baseball-Reference.com". Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  26. ^ "Career Leaders & Records for Def. Games as C".

External links

Major League Baseball records
Major League Baseball
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