List of Major League Baseball career fielding errors leaders
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In baseball statistics, an error is an act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to advance one or more bases or allows an at bat to continue after the batter should have been put out.
Herman Long is the all-time leader in errors, committing 1,096 in his career. Bill Dahlen (1,080), Deacon White (1,018), and Germany Smith (1,009) are the only other players to commit over 1,000 career errors. Tommy Corcoran (992), Fred Pfeffer (980), Cap Anson (976), and John Montgomery Ward (952) are the only other players to commit over 900 career errors.[1]
Key
| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career errors committed. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player | Name of player. |
| E | Total career errors committed. |
| * | denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
|---|
List
- Stats updated as of April 3, 2026.
By position
Pitchers
The pitcher is the player who pitches the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, playing the most difficult and specialized position, and as such is regarded as being at the right end of the defensive spectrum. Pitchers play far less than players at other positions, generally appearing in only two or three games per week; only one pitcher in major league history has appeared in 100 games in a single season. There are many different types of pitchers, generally divided between starting pitchers and relief pitchers, which include the middle reliever, lefty specialist, setup man, and closer. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the 19th century when fielding equipment was very rudimentary; baseball gloves only began to gain acceptance in the 1880s steadily, and were not uniformly worn until the mid-1890s, resulting in a much lower frequency of defensive miscues. The top 25 players in career errors began playing in the 19th century, most of them playing their entire careers before 1900; only four were active after 1901, and none after 1911. Most of the top 92 played entirely in the 19th century, with only 19 making their major league debut after 1900; only six made their debut after 1940. The top 16 single-season totals were all recorded before 1890, the top 95 were recorded before 1904, and the top 297 were recorded before 1924. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill. Jim Kaat and Greg Maddux, whose error totals of 56 and 53 rank fifth and seventh among pitchers since 1940, won sixteen and eighteen Gold Glove Awards respectively for defensive excellence.
Bobby Mathews is the all-time leader in career errors committed by a pitcher with 220, more than twice as many as any pitcher who began playing after 1900; he is the only pitcher to commit more than 200 career errors. Tim Keefe is second with 166 career errors as a pitcher. Seventeen players have committed more than 100 career errors as pitchers. Justin Verlander, who had 35 errors through the end of the 2025 season to place him tied for 221st all-time, is the leader among active players.
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- Stats updated as of April 3, 2026.
Catchers
The 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. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the catcher is assigned the number 2.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the 19th century, when fielding equipment was very rudimentary; baseball gloves only began to gain acceptance in the 1880s steadily, and were not uniformly worn until the mid-1890s, resulting in a much lower frequency of defensive miscues. Other protective equipment for catchers were also gradually introduced; the first masks were developed in the late 1870s, with improvements in the 1890s, but shin guards were not introduced to the major leagues until 1907. The top 15 players in career errors all played primarily in the 19th century, and half of the top 52 played their entire careers prior to 1894; only five were active after 1920, and none were active after 1931. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill; of the six catchers in the top 100 who were active after 1960, most were winners of Gold Glove Awards; Bob Boone, who leads all post-1931 catchers with 178 errors, won seven Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence.
Pop Snyder, who retired in 1891 with a record 877 games as a catcher, is the all-time leader in career fielding errors by a catcher with 685, nearly four times as many as any catcher who began their career after 1915. Deacon McGuire, who ended his career in 1912 with a record 1,612 games caught, is second with 577 and is the only other catcher to commit more than 500 errors. Yan Gomes, who had 68 errors through the 2025 season to place him tied for 266th all-time, is the leader among active players.
- Stats updated as of April 3, 2026.
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as C |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Jack O'Brien | 183 |
| 52 | Scott Hastings | 182 |
| 53 | Bob Boone | 178 |
| 54 | Jack O'Connor | 177 |
| 55 | Morgan Murphy | 175 |
| Ray Schalk* | 175 | |
| 57 | Lou Criger | 170 |
| 58 | Rudy Kemmler | 169 |
| 59 | Fergy Malone | 168 |
| 60 | Roger Bresnahan* | 167 |
| 61 | Paul Cook | 166 |
| Ossee Schreckengost | 166 | |
| Joe Sugden | 166 | |
| 64 | Tom Kinslow | 163 |
| 65 | Bill Bergen | 161 |
| 66 | John Grim | 158 |
| 67 | Dick Higham | 157 |
| 68 | Carlton Fisk* | 155 |
| 69 | Rollie Hemsley | 154 |
| Jack Ryan | 154 | |
| 71 | George Gibson | 153 |
| 72 | Benito Santiago | 151 |
| Ed Whiting | 151 | |
| 74 | Bill Rariden | 150 |
| Luke Sewell | 150 | |
| 76 | Tom Daly | 148 |
| Bill Killefer | 148 | |
| Gus Mancuso | 148 | |
| Jack Rowe | 148 | |
| Billy Sullivan | 148 | |
| 81 | Jim Donahue | 146 |
| Chief Meyers | 146 | |
| 83 | Bill Harbridge | 145 |
| 84 | Jason Kendall | 144 |
| Ed McFarland | 144 | |
| 86 | Mert Hackett | 143 |
| Ernie Lombardi* | 143 | |
| 88 | Iván Rodríguez* | 142 |
| 89 | Gabby Hartnett* | 139 |
| 90 | Walker Cooper | 138 |
| Lave Cross | 138 | |
| Ed Sweeney | 138 | |
| 93 | Jimmie Wilson | 136 |
| 94 | Rick Ferrell* | 135 |
| Otto Miller | 135 | |
| 96 | Darrell Porter | 134 |
| 97 | John Kelly | 133 |
| Andy Seminick | 133 | |
| 99 | Sam Agnew | 132 |
| Mike Grady | 132 |
First Basemen
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 list of career leaders is dominated by players from the 19th century when fielding equipment was very rudimentary; baseball gloves only began to gain acceptance in the 1880s steadily, and were not uniformly worn until the mid-1890s, resulting in a much lower frequency of defensive miscues. Additional modifications were made to first basemen's gloves in the 1930s which further reduced errors. All but one of the top 14 players in career errors began playing in the 19th century, and most played their entire careers before 1900; none were active after 1919. None of the top 20 were active after 1930, and only 10 of the top 64 were active after 1950. The top 48 single-season totals were all recorded before 1900, and the top 179 were recorded before 1920. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill. George Sisler, whose 269 errors are the most by any first baseman whose career began after 1910, is often regarded as the greatest defensive first baseman in history; George Scott, whose 165 errors are the most by an American League first baseman since the Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence were introduced in 1957, won the award eight times – including 1967, when he led the AL with 19 errors.
Cap Anson, whose career began in 1871 and who played nearly 400 more games at first base than any other player in the 19th century, is the all-time leader in career errors as a first baseman with 658, nearly three times as many as any first baseman whose career began after 1920; he also holds the National League record of 583. Dan Brouthers, who played only one game at first base after 1896, is second all-time with 513 and is the only other first baseman to commit more than 500 errors. Freddie Freeman, who had 76 errors through the end of the 2025 season to place him tied for 176th all-time, is the leader among active players.
- Stats updated as of April 3, 2026.
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as 1B |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Jim Field | 161 |
| 52 | Stuffy McInnis | 160 |
| 53 | Martin Powell | 159 |
| Perry Werden | 159 | |
| 55 | Jimmie Foxx* | 155 |
| 56 | Jake Stahl | 150 |
| 57 | Dave Foutz | 150 |
| 58 | Donn Clendenon | 146 |
| Juice Latham | 146 | |
| 60 | Earl Torgeson | 143 |
| 61 | Charlie Hickman | 142 |
| Joe Judge | 142 | |
| 63 | Dolph Camilli | 141 |
| Guy Hecker | 141 | |
| 65 | Mo Vaughn | 139 |
| 66 | Ferris Fain | 138 |
| Bill Terry* | 138 | |
| 68 | Will Clark | 136 |
| Alex McKinnon | 136 | |
| Jim O'Rourke* | 136 | |
| 71 | Frank Chance* | 135 |
| 72 | Johnny Mize* | 133 |
| 73 | John Kerins | 132 |
| 74 | Norm Cash | 131 |
| 75 | Chris Chambliss | 130 |
| 76 | Jeff Bagwell* | 129 |
| Carlos Delgado | 129 | |
| Vic Saier | 129 | |
| 79 | Bill Buckner | 128 |
| Denny Mack | 128 | |
| 81 | Gil Hodges* | 126 |
| 82 | Phil Cavarretta | 123 |
| 83 | Rudy York | 122 |
| 84 | Cecil Cooper | 121 |
| George Kelly* | 121 | |
| Hal Trosky | 121 | |
| 87 | Mox McQuery | 120 |
| 88 | Ryan Howard | 119 |
| 89 | John Anderson | 117 |
| Tony Pérez* | 117 | |
| 91 | Boog Powell | 116 |
| Albert Pujols | 116 | |
| Gus Suhr | 116 | |
| 94 | Ed Cartwright | 115 |
| Mike Hargrove | 115 | |
| Keith Hernandez | 115 | |
| 97 | John Glenn | 113 |
| Doc Johnston | 113 | |
| George McQuinn | 113 | |
| Earl Sheely | 113 |
Second Basemen
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.[2] In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the second baseman is assigned the number 4.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the 19th century, when fielding equipment was very rudimentary; baseball gloves only began to gain acceptance in the 1880s steadily, and were not uniformly worn until the mid-1890s, resulting in a much lower frequency of defensive miscues. All but three of the top 21 players in career errors began playing in the 19th century – including the top 13, ten of whom played their entire careers before 1900; only one of the top 21 played more than two games after 1920. None of the top 25 were active after 1930, with the top eight players active after 1926 all being members of the Baseball Hall of Fame; none of the top 49, and only eight of the top 77, were active after 1953. The top 59 single-season totals were all recorded before 1895, the top 192 were recorded before 1928, and the top 410 were recorded before 1946. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill. Joe Morgan, whose 244 errors are the most by any second baseman since 1945, won five Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence.
Fred Pfeffer, who retired in 1897 after having set National League (NL) records for career games, putouts and assists as a second baseman, is the all-time leader in career errors as a second baseman with 857 – nearly twice as many as any player whose career began after 1900, and over three times as many as any player who reached the major leagues after 1930; he is the only second baseman with over 800, and also holds the NL record of 781. Bid McPhee (792) and Cub Stricker (701), whose careers ended in 1899 and 1893 respectively, are the only other second basemen to commit more than 700 career errors. Jose Altuve, who had 109 errors through the end of the 2025 season to place him tied for 181st all-time, is the leader among active players.
- Stats updated as of April 24, 2026.
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as 2B |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Billy Gilbert | 237 |
| 52 | Sam Barkley | 235 |
| 53 | Willie Randolph | 234 |
| 54 | Charley Bassett | 232 |
| 55 | Hughie Critz | 231 |
| 56 | Ralph Young | 228 |
| 57 | Dick Padden | 224 |
| 58 | Julián Javier | 219 |
| 59 | Ski Melillo | 215 |
| 60 | Bobby Doerr* | 214 |
| 61 | Nellie Fox* | 209 |
| 62 | Jack Crooks | 204 |
| Bill Mazeroski* | 204 | |
| 64 | Buddy Myer | 200 |
| 65 | Danny Murphy | 199 |
| 66 | Dasher Troy | 195 |
| 67 | Jeff Kent* | 194 |
| Marty McManus | 194 | |
| 69 | Tony Cuccinello | 190 |
| Jerry Priddy | 190 | |
| 71 | John Farrell | 189 |
| Lou Whitaker | 189 | |
| 73 | John O'Brien | 188 |
| 74 | Steve Sax | 187 |
| 75 | Bill Craver | 186 |
| Tommy Dowd | 186 | |
| 77 | Jimmy Dykes | 183 |
| 78 | Tito Fuentes | 182 |
| 79 | Roberto Alomar* | 181 |
| Ray Durham | 181 | |
| 81 | Frank LaPorte | 180 |
| Heinie Reitz | 180 | |
| 83 | Glenn Beckert | 179 |
| Frank White | 179 | |
| 85 | Charlie Sweasy | 178 |
| Tony Taylor | 178 | |
| 87 | Johnny Temple | 172 |
| 88 | Red Schoendienst* | 170 |
| 89 | Bill Sweeney | 169 |
| 90 | Ian Kinsler | 168 |
| Dots Miller | 168 | |
| 92 | Hub Collins | 164 |
| Mike McGeary | 164 | |
| Connie Ryan | 164 | |
| Juan Samuel | 164 | |
| 96 | Max Bishop | 163 |
| 97 | Davey Lopes | 162 |
| Eddie Stanky | 162 | |
| 99 | Dick Egan | 160 |
| 100 | Manny Trillo | 157 |
Third basemen
Third base is the third of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team. A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest third base, and is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base. The third baseman requires good reflexes in reacting to batted balls, often being the closest infielder (roughly 90–120 feet) to the batter. The third base position requires a strong and accurate arm, as the third baseman often makes long throws to first base. The third baseman sometimes must throw quickly to second base in time to start a double play, and must also field fly balls in both fair and foul territory. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the 19th century, when fielding equipment was very rudimentary; baseball gloves only began to gain acceptance in the 1880s steadily, and were not uniformly worn until the mid-1890s, resulting in a much lower frequency of defensive miscues. The top 19 players in career errors all began playing in the 19th century, all but four of them playing their entire careers before 1900; none were active in the major leagues after 1911. Only two of the top 29 were active after 1929, and none were active after 1946. Through 2021, the top 129 single-season totals were all recorded before 1906, and only five of the top 316 were recorded after 1942. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill. Ron Santo, who leads all post-1950 third basemen with 317 errors, won five Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence.
Arlie Latham, who set a major league record with 1,573 career games at third base – none of them after 1896 – is the all-time leader in career errors committed as a third baseman with 822, more than twice as many as any player who reached the major leagues after 1900; he is the only third baseman to commit more than 700 career errors. Billy Nash, whose career ended in 1898 after setting the National League record for games at third base, is second all-time; he is the only other third baseman to commit more than 600 errors. Rafael Devers, who had 141 errors through the 2025 season to place him tied for 143rd all-time, is the leader among active players.
- Stats updated as of April 3, 2026.
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as 3B |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Fred Hartman | 251 |
| Charlie Irwin | 251 | |
| 53 | Ken Caminiti | 249 |
| 54 | Stan Hack | 246 |
| 55 | Aramis Ramírez | 244 |
| Red Smith | 244 | |
| 57 | Tim Wallach | 240 |
| 58 | Terry Pendleton | 238 |
| 59 | Bob Elliott | 236 |
| 60 | Bill Coughlin | 231 |
| Heinie Zimmerman | 231 | |
| 62 | Wade Boggs* | 229 |
| 63 | Sal Bando | 228 |
| Mike Muldoon | 228 | |
| Milt Stock | 228 | |
| Patsy Tebeau | 228 | |
| Todd Zeile | 228 | |
| 68 | Gary Gaetti | 224 |
| 69 | Ron Cey | 223 |
| Chipper Jones* | 223 | |
| Joe Werrick | 223 | |
| 72 | Mike Mowrey | 221 |
| 73 | Jim Tabor | 220 |
| Robin Ventura | 220 | |
| Billy Werber | 220 | |
| 76 | Harry Lord | 217 |
| 77 | Aurelio Rodríguez | 215 |
| 78 | Warren White | 214 |
| 79 | George Davis* | 211 |
| 80 | Ossie Bluege | 208 |
| 81 | Joe Battin | 207 |
| 82 | Levi Meyerle | 205 |
| 83 | Bill Hague | 200 |
| 84 | George Moriarty | 199 |
| 85 | Doug DeCinces | 198 |
| 86 | Cap Anson* | 196 |
| Frank Malzone | 196 | |
| 88 | Bill Madlock | 193 |
| 89 | Willie Jones | 192 |
| 90 | Billy Lauder | 190 |
| David Wright | 190 | |
| 92 | Chippy McGarr | 189 |
| 93 | Jimmy Dykes | 188 |
| 94 | Doug Rader | 187 |
| 95 | Scott Rolen* | 186 |
| 96 | Willie Kamm | 185 |
| Dean Palmer | 185 | |
| 98 | Richie Hebner | 182 |
| 99 | Bobby Bonilla | 181 |
| 100 | Matt Williams | 177 |
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is a baseball or softball fielding position in the infield, commonly stationed between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Defensive specialists mostly fill the position, so shortstops are generally relatively poor batters who typically hit lower in the batting order. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the shortstop is assigned the number 6.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the 19th century when fielding equipment was very rudimentary; baseball gloves only began to gain acceptance in the 1880s steadily, and were not uniformly worn until the mid-1890s, resulting in a much lower frequency of defensive miscues. 13 of the top 18 players in career errors began playing in the 19th century, six of whom played their entire careers before 1900; only one of the top 24 made their major league debut after 1915, and none of the top 38 were active after 1950. The top 12 single-season totals were all recorded before 1894, the top 61 were recorded before 1909, and the top 187 were recorded before 1919; none of the top 500 have been recorded since 1951. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill. Luis Aparicio, whose 366 errors are the most by any American League (AL) shortstop since 1940, won nine Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence and retired with the second highest fielding percentage in AL history.
Herman Long, who retired in 1904 after setting major league records for games and putouts as a shortstop, is the all-time leader in errors committed as a shortstop with 1,070, nearly three times as many as any shortstop active since 1960, and the most by any player at a single position in major league history; he is the only shortstop to commit over 1,000 career errors. Bill Dahlen (975), Germany Smith (973), and Tommy Corcoran (961) are the only other shortstops to commit over 900 career errors. Tim Anderson, with 141 errors through the end of the 2025 season, is the active leader in errors by a shortstop, followed by Javier Báez with 130.[3]
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- Stats updated as of April 3, 2026.
Left fielders
The left fielder (LF) is one of the three outfielders, the defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing toward the pitcher's mound. The outfielders' duty is to try to catch long fly balls before they hit the ground or to quickly catch or retrieve and return to the infield any other balls entering the outfield. The left fielder must also be adept at navigating the area of left field where the foul line approaches the corner of the playing field and the walls of the seating areas. Being the outfielder closest to third base, the left fielder generally does not have to throw as far as the other outfielders to throw out runners advancing around the bases, so they often do not have the strongest throwing arm, but their throws need to be accurate. The left fielder normally plays behind the third baseman and shortstop, who play in or near the infield; unlike catchers and most infielders (excepting first basemen), who are virtually exclusively right-handed, left fielders can be either right- or left-handed. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the left fielder is assigned the number 7.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the early 20th century; only two of the top 16 players were active after 1945. Only four of the top 28 single-season totals were recorded after 1916, none after 1935; only four of the top 81 totals were recorded after 1940. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill. Barry Bonds, whose 89 errors are the most by a National League (NL) left fielder since 1971, won eight Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence.
Because game accounts and box scores often did not distinguish between the outfield positions, there has been some difficulty in determining precise defensive statistics prior to 1901; because of this, and because of the similarity in their roles, defensive statistics for the three positions are frequently combined. Although efforts to distinguish between the three positions regarding games played during this period and reconstruct the separate totals have been largely successful, separate error totals are unavailable; players whose totals are missing the figures for pre-1901 games are notated in the table below. Zack Wheat, who held the major league records for career games and putouts in left field for over 70 years, is the modern (post-1900) leader in career errors committed by a left fielder with 186, including the modern National League record of 184. Goose Goslin (184), Lou Brock (168), Bobby Veach (146), Jimmy Sheckard (139), Patsy Dougherty (133), Duffy Lewis (123), Bob Johnson (121), Jack Graney (114), Rickey Henderson (113), Ken Williams (109), Jesse Burkett (108), and Charlie Jamieson (103) are the only other left fielders charged with over 100 career errors after 1900. Eddie Rosario, who had 34 errors through the 2025 season to place him tied for 135th all-time, is the leader among active players.
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- Stats updated through the end of the 2025 season.
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as LF |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zack Wheat* | 186 |
| 2 | Goose Goslin* | 184 |
| 3 | Lou Brock* | 168 |
| 4 | Bobby Veach | 146 |
| 5 | Jimmy Sheckard † | 139 |
| 6 | Patsy Dougherty | 133 |
| 7 | Duffy Lewis | 123 |
| 8 | Bob Johnson | 121 |
| 9 | Jack Graney | 114 |
| 10 | Rickey Henderson* | 113 |
| 11 | Ken Williams | 109 |
| 12 | Jesse Burkett* † | 108 |
| 13 | Charlie Jamieson | 103 |
| 14 | Bob Bescher | 99 |
| Sherry Magee | 99 | |
| 16 | Topsy Hartsel † | 93 |
| 17 | Ted Williams* | 92 |
| 18 | Barry Bonds | 89 |
| 19 | Joe Medwick* | 86 |
| Minnie Miñoso* | 86 | |
| Burt Shotton | 86 | |
| Lonnie Smith | 86 | |
| 23 | Gary Matthews | 85 |
| 24 | George Bell | 83 |
| 25 | Irish Meusel | 82 |
| Tillie Walker | 82 | |
| 27 | Bibb Falk | 80 |
| Alex Johnson | 80 | |
| Willie Stargell* | 80 | |
| 30 | George Burns | 79 |
| Del Ennis | 79 | |
| 32 | José Cruz | 78 |
| Billy Williams* | 78 | |
| 34 | Fred Clarke* † | 76 |
| 35 | Roy Johnson | 74 |
| 36 | Ralph Kiner* | 73 |
| 37 | Carson Bigbee | 72 |
| 38 | Gus Zernial | 71 |
| 39 | Jeff Heath | 68 |
| George Stone | 68 | |
| Carl Yastrzemski* | 68 | |
| 42 | George Barclay | 67 |
| Rube Ellis | 67 | |
| 44 | Luis Gonzalez | 64 |
| Jo-Jo Moore | 64 | |
| 46 | Matty McIntyre | 63 |
| Joe Vosmik | 63 | |
| Gee Walker | 63 | |
| 49 | Jim Rice* | 62 |
| Kip Selbach † | 62 |
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as LF |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Babe Ruth* | 61 |
| Moose Solters | 61 | |
| 53 | Adam Dunn | 60 |
| Sam Mertes † | 60 | |
| 55 | Vince Coleman | 59 |
| Leon Wagner | 59 | |
| 57 | Albert Belle | 58 |
| 58 | Mike Donlin † | 57 |
| Lefty O'Doul | 57 | |
| 60 | Jimmy Slagle † | 56 |
| 61 | Willie Horton | 55 |
| Greg Luzinski | 55 | |
| 63 | Ralph Garr | 54 |
| Heinie Manush* | 54 | |
| Alfonso Soriano | 54 | |
| 66 | Pat Burrell | 53 |
| 67 | Ron Gant | 52 |
| Steve Henderson | 52 | |
| Bob Meusel | 52 | |
| Hank Sauer | 52 | |
| 71 | Max Carey* | 50 |
| Tommy Davis | 50 | |
| George Foster | 50 | |
| Matt Holliday | 50 | |
| Carlos Lee | 50 | |
| 76 | Cliff Floyd | 49 |
| Dick Harley † | 49 | |
| Davy Jones | 49 | |
| Al Martin | 49 | |
| Ben Oglivie | 49 | |
| Rip Radcliff | 49 | |
| Bob Skinner | 49 | |
| 83 | Bob Fothergill | 48 |
| Chick Hafey* | 48 | |
| Tim Raines* | 48 | |
| 86 | Joe Carter | 47 |
| Pat Duncan | 47 | |
| Larry Herndon | 47 | |
| Al Simmons* | 47 | |
| Dick Wakefield | 47 | |
| 91 | Augie Galan | 46 |
| Jack McCarthy † | 46 | |
| 93 | Moisés Alou | 45 |
| Rube Bressler | 45 | |
| Les Mann | 45 | |
| 96 | Rico Carty | 44 |
| 97 | Gil Coan | 43 |
| Pete Incaviglia | 43 | |
| Mike Menosky | 43 | |
| John Stone | 43 |
Center fielders
The center fielder (CF) is one of the three outfielders, the defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. Center field is the area of the outfield directly in front of a person standing at home plate and facing beyond the pitcher's mound. The outfielders' duty is to try to catch long fly balls before they hit the ground or to quickly catch or retrieve and return to the infield any other balls entering the outfield. Generally having the most territory to cover, the center fielder is usually the fastest of the three outfielders, although this can also depend on the relative strength of their throwing arms and the configuration of their home field, due to the deepest part of center field being the farthest point from the infield and home plate. The center fielder normally plays behind the shortstop and second baseman, who play in or near the infield; unlike catchers and most infielders (excepting first basemen), who are virtually exclusively right-handed, center fielders can be either right- or left-handed. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the center fielder is assigned the number 8.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the early 20th century; only three of the top 25 players were active after 1953. Only nine of the top 71 single-season totals were recorded after 1927, only one after 1939; only five of the top 183 totals were recorded after 1964. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill. Tris Speaker, who holds the modern (post-1900) record of 227 errors committed as a center fielder, is often regarded as the greatest outfielder in history, setting records for putouts and assists; Willie Mays, whose 139 errors are the most by a center fielder since 1930, won twelve Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence.
Because game accounts and box scores often did not distinguish between the outfield positions, there has been some difficulty in determining precise defensive statistics prior to 1901; because of this, and because of the similarity in their roles, defensive statistics for the three positions are frequently combined. Although efforts to distinguish between the three positions regarding games played during this period and reconstruct the separate totals have been largely successful, separate error totals are unavailable; players whose totals are missing the figures for pre-1901 games are notated in the table below. Tris Speaker is the post-1900 leader in career errors committed as a center fielder with 227; Ty Cobb (208) is second, and is the only other center fielder to commit over 200 career errors. Andrew McCutchen, who had 37 errors through the 2025 season to place him tied for 140th all-time, is the leader among active players.
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- Stats updated through the end of the 2025 season.
| Rank | Player | E as LF |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tris Speaker* | 227 |
| 2 | Ty Cobb* | 208 |
| 3 | Clyde Milan | 192 |
| 4 | Max Carey* | 179 |
| 5 | Cy Seymour † | 143 |
| 6 | Willie Mays* | 139 |
| 7 | Edd Roush* | 134 |
| 8 | Earl Averill* | 122 |
| 9 | Willie Davis | 121 |
| 10 | Dode Paskert | 111 |
| 11 | Richie Ashburn* | 106 |
| Doc Cramer | 106 | |
| 13 | Cy Williams | 102 |
| 14 | Joe DiMaggio* | 100 |
| 15 | Ginger Beaumont † | 99 |
| 16 | Rebel Oakes | 92 |
| Burt Shotton | 92 | |
| 18 | Sam Chapman | 91 |
| 19 | Taylor Douthit | 90 |
| 20 | Dom DiMaggio | 89 |
| 21 | Earle Combs* | 88 |
| 22 | Hy Myers | 87 |
| 23 | Baby Doll Jacobson | 86 |
| 24 | Hack Wilson* | 84 |
| 25 | Sam Rice* | 80 |
| 26 | Kenny Lofton | 78 |
| Willie McGee | 78 | |
| Lloyd Waner* | 78 | |
| 29 | Bill Bruton | 77 |
| Johnny Mostil | 77 | |
| Vada Pinson | 77 | |
| Ray Powell | 77 | |
| 33 | Ken Griffey Jr.* | 76 |
| Garry Maddox | 76 | |
| 35 | Benny Kauff | 75 |
| Tilly Walker | 75 | |
| 37 | Sam West | 72 |
| 38 | Wally Berger | 71 |
| Fred Schulte | 71 | |
| 40 | Johnny Bates | 70 |
| Ron LeFlore | 70 | |
| Bill Virdon | 70 | |
| 43 | Mickey Mantle* | 67 |
| Homer Smoot | 67 | |
| Roy Thomas † | 67 | |
| 46 | Tommy Leach † | 66 |
| 47 | Joe Birmingham | 65 |
| Rick Monday | 65 | |
| Devon White | 65 | |
| 50 | Mike Cameron | 64 |
| Rank | Player | E as LF |
|---|---|---|
| Chick Stahl † | 64 | |
| 52 | Steve Finley | 63 |
| Charlie Hemphill † | 63 | |
| Danny Hoffman | 63 | |
| 55 | Jimmy Barrett † | 61 |
| Emmet Heidrick † | 61 | |
| 57 | Carlos Beltrán* | 60 |
| 58 | Tommie Agee | 59 |
| Lance Johnson | 59 | |
| 60 | Marquis Grissom | 58 |
| Chet Lemon | 58 | |
| Jack Smith | 58 | |
| Duke Snider* | 58 | |
| 64 | Vince DiMaggio | 57 |
| Mike Kreevich | 57 | |
| Nemo Leibold | 57 | |
| Fred Snodgrass | 57 | |
| 68 | Adam Jones | 56 |
| Fielder Jones † | 56 | |
| Omar Moreno | 56 | |
| Jigger Statz | 56 | |
| 72 | Ben Chapman | 55 |
| Mickey Rivers | 55 | |
| 74 | César Cedeño | 54 |
| Kiki Cuyler* | 54 | |
| Jim Edmonds | 54 | |
| Curt Flood | 54 | |
| Billy North | 54 | |
| Turkey Stearnes* | 54 (includes incomplete Negro league totals) | |
| Jimmy Wynn | 54 | |
| 81 | Paul Blair | 53 |
| 82 | John Dobbs | 52 |
| 83 | Vin Campbell | 51 |
| Happy Felsch | 51 | |
| Harry Rice | 51 | |
| 86 | Ping Bodie | 50 |
| Larry Doby* | 50 | |
| Rick Manning | 50 | |
| Lloyd Moseby | 50 | |
| 90 | Dave Fultz † | 49 |
| Fred Lynn | 49 | |
| 92 | Terry Moore | 48 |
| Reggie Smith | 48 | |
| Amos Strunk | 48 | |
| 95 | Al Simmons* | 47 |
| Jo-Jo White | 47 | |
| Bernie Williams | 47 | |
| 98 | Andre Dawson * | 46 |
| Ira Flagstead | 46 | |
| Cliff Heathcote | 46 | |
| Dwayne Murphy | 46 | |
| Gee Walker | 46 |
Right fielders
The right fielder (RF) is one of the three outfielders, the defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing toward the pitcher's mound. The outfielders must try to catch long fly balls before they hit the ground or to quickly catch or retrieve and return to the infield any other balls entering the outfield. The right fielder must also be adept at navigating the area of right field where the foul line approaches the corner of the playing field and the walls of the seating areas. Being the outfielder farthest from third base, the right fielder often has to make longer throws than the other outfielders to throw out runners advancing around the bases, so they often have the strongest or most accurate throwing arm. The right fielder normally plays behind the second baseman and first baseman, who play in or near the infield; unlike catchers and most infielders (excepting first basemen), who are virtually exclusively right-handed, right fielders can be either right- or left-handed. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the right fielder is assigned the number 9, the highest number.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the early 20th century; only six of the top 20 players were active after 1951, only one of whom played primarily in the American League. Only nine of the top 91 single-season totals were recorded after 1939, only four after 1979. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill.
Because game accounts and box scores often did not distinguish between the outfield positions, there has been some difficulty in determining precise defensive statistics prior to 1901; because of this, and because of the similarity in their roles, defensive statistics for the three positions are frequently combined. Although efforts to distinguish between the three positions regarding games played during this period and reconstruct the separate totals have been largely successful, separate error totals are unavailable. Players whose totals are missing the figures for pre-1901 games are noted in the table below. Harry Hooper is the modern (post-1900) leader in career errors committed by a right fielder with 144. Dave Parker is second all-time and holds the modern National League record with 134 career errors in right field. Only fourteen right fielders have committed more than 100 career errors at the position since 1900. Giancarlo Stanton, who had 46 errors through the end of the 2025 season to place him tied for 90th all-time, is the leader among active players.
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- Stats updated through the end of the 2025 season.
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as RF |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Hooper* | 144 |
| 2 | Dave Parker* | 134 |
| 3 | Roberto Clemente* | 131 |
| Paul Waner* | 131 | |
| 5 | Reggie Jackson* | 126 |
| 6 | Vladimir Guerrero* | 125 |
| 7 | Ross Youngs* | 116 |
| 8 | Sammy Sosa | 111 |
| 9 | Harry Heilmann* | 109 |
| 10 | Chuck Klein* | 107 |
| 11 | Bruce Campbell | 104 |
| Tommy Griffith | 104 | |
| 13 | Sam Rice* | 101 |
| Curt Walker | 101 | |
| 15 | Wally Moses | 99 |
| 16 | George Browne | 96 |
| 17 | Rusty Staub | 95 |
| Jack Tobin | 95 | |
| 19 | Gavvy Cravath | 93 |
| 20 | Sam Crawford* † | 92 |
| 21 | Hank Aaron* | 88 |
| Mel Ott* | 88 | |
| 23 | John Titus | 87 |
| 24 | Rubén Sierra | 86 |
| 25 | Babe Herman | 85 |
| 26 | Babe Ruth* | 84 |
| 27 | Elmer Flick* † | 77 |
| 28 | Bobby Abreu | 71 |
| Bobby Bonds | 71 | |
| Dixie Walker | 71 | |
| 31 | Steve Evans | 68 |
| 32 | José Guillén | 67 |
| Mike Mitchell | 67 | |
| 34 | Harry Lumley | 66 |
| 35 | Roy Johnson | 65 |
| Raúl Mondesí | 65 | |
| Tim Salmon | 65 | |
| Chief Wilson | 65 | |
| 39 | Frank Schulte | 64 |
| 40 | Willie Keeler* † | 63 |
| Bill Nicholson | 63 | |
| Casey Stengel* | 63 | |
| Claudell Washington | 63 | |
| 44 | Dave Winfield* | 62 |
| 45 | Jeromy Burnitz | 61 |
| Shano Collins | 61 | |
| Jermaine Dye | 61 | |
| Al Kaline* | 61 | |
| 49 | Dwight Evans | 60 |
| Max Flack | 60 |
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as RF |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Carl Furillo | 59 |
| Jackie Jensen | 59 | |
| Bing Miller | 59 | |
| Danny Moeller | 59 | |
| Tony Oliva* | 59 | |
| 56 | Cozy Dolan † | 58 |
| Billy Southworth* | 58 | |
| Darryl Strawberry | 58 | |
| 59 | Jesse Barfield | 57 |
| Ty Cobb* | 57 | |
| Bob Meusel | 57 | |
| Red Murray | 57 | |
| 63 | Pete Fox | 56 |
| Tony Gwynn* | 56 | |
| Enos Slaughter* | 56 | |
| Homer Summa | 56 | |
| 67 | Rocky Colavito | 55 |
| 68 | Elmer Valo | 54 |
| 69 | Elmer Smith | 53 |
| 70 | Tom Brunansky | 52 |
| Mike Davis | 52 | |
| 72 | Wally Post | 51 |
| Socks Seybold † | 51 | |
| 74 | Rob Deer | 50 |
| Ival Goodman | 50 | |
| Eddie Murphy | 50 | |
| Ken Singleton | 50 | |
| Justin Upton | 50 | |
| 79 | Mark Whiten | 49 |
| 80 | Jay Bruce | 48 |
| Johnny Callison | 48 | |
| Shoeless Joe Jackson | 48 | |
| Dave Robertson | 48 | |
| Braggo Roth | 48 | |
| 85 | Wilbur Good | 47 |
| Danny Green † | 47 | |
| Gene Moore | 47 | |
| Reggie Smith | 47 | |
| Larry Walker* | 47 | |
| 90 | Harold Baines* | 46 |
| Jack Clark | 46 | |
| Shawn Green | 46 | |
| Giancarlo Stanton (0) | 46 | |
| 94 | Kiki Cuyler* | 45 |
| Dan Ford | 45 | |
| Jeff Francoeur | 45 | |
| Lance Richbourg | 45 | |
| George Watkins | 45 | |
| Earl Webb | 45 | |
| Glenn Wilson | 45 |
