List of Major League Baseball career on-base percentage leaders

A smiling man in a white baseball uniform with a black long-sleeved shirt underneath sits with his arms around his right leg.
Ted Williams has the highest career on-base percentage in MLB history, led the American League in 12 seasons (also a record), and held the single-season on-base percentage record for 61 years.

In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped or uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference. OBP is calculated in Major League Baseball (MLB) by dividing the sum of hits, walks, and times hit by a pitch by the sum of at-bats, walks, times hit by pitch and sacrifice flies.[1] A hitter with a .400 on-base percentage is considered to be great[2] and rare;[3] only 55 players in MLB history with at least 3,000 career plate appearances (PA) have maintained such an OBP. Left fielder Ted Williams, who played 19 seasons for the Boston Red Sox, has the highest career on-base percentage, .4817, in MLB history.[4] Williams led the American League (AL) in on-base percentage in twelve seasons, the most such seasons for any player in the major leagues.[4][5] Barry Bonds led the National League (NL) in ten seasons, a NL record.[5][6] Williams also posted the then-highest single-season on-base percentage of .5528 in 1941, a record that stood for 61 years until Bonds broke it with a .5817 OBP in 2002.[7] Bonds broke his own record in 2004, setting the current single-season mark of .6094.[7]

Joey Votto is the current active MLB leader in OBP, with a career mark of .4250.[8] Mickey Cochrane is the only catcher and Arky Vaughan is the only shortstop with a career mark of at least .400.[9][10] Of the 43 players eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame with a career on-base percentage of .400 or higher, 27 have been elected. Players are eligible for the Hall of Fame if they have played at least 10 major league seasons, have been either retired for five seasons or deceased for six months, and have not been banned from MLB.[11] These requirements leave 6 living players ineligible who have played in the past 5 seasons; 5 players (Bill Joyce, Ferris Fain, Jake Stenzel, Bill Lange, and George Selkirk) who did not play 10 seasons in MLB; and Shoeless Joe Jackson, who was banned for his role in the Black Sox Scandal.[12]

Keys

Player Name of the player
OBP Career on-base percentage
PA Career plate appearances
Position Position that player played in the field
Years active The seasons this player played in the major leagues
League leads Number of times the player led their league in OBP
† Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
* Denotes player who is still active
Position
C Catcher 1B First baseman
2B Second baseman 3B Third baseman
SS Shortstop LF Left fielder
CF Center fielder RF Right fielder
P Pitcher DH Designated hitter

Players

A man in full baseball attire wears a pinstriped jersey and a hat with overlapping white "N" and "Y". Looking to the left of the camera, he is holding a baseball bat upward.
Babe Ruth had the second-highest career on-base percentage and is the only player above .400 to have spent significant time as a pitcher.
A gray haired man in a dark three-piece suit.
Despite posting the third-highest on-base percentage in MLB history John McGraw led the league in OBP in only 3 seasons.
Baseball card picturing a man in a white baseball uniform which reads "KANSAS CITY" on the chest". Below him the card reads "HAMILTON, LF, Kansas Citys".
Billy Hamilton played left field, one of the most common positions amongst players with a .400 OBP, along with first base.
An African American man in a white baseball uniform with "GIANTS" on the chest takes a left-handed baseball swing as a catcher kneels behind him to receive the pitch.
In addition to his sixth-highest career OBP in MLB history Barry Bonds set the single-season OBP record in 2004, one of ten seasons in which he led the National League in that category.
A man in a red baseball cap with a white C on it and a red baseball jersey holds a black baseball glove (worn on his left hand) in front of his chest.
Joey Votto is the active MLB leader in on-base percentage.
Statistics updated through the 2016 season. Minimum of 3,000 plate appearances.
Player OBP PA Position Years active League leads Ref
Williams, TedTed Williams† .4817 9,791 LF 1939–1942
1946–1960		 12 [4]
Ruth, BabeBabe Ruth† .4739 10,620 RF/P 1914–1935 10 [13]
McGraw, JohnJohn McGraw† .4657 4,926 3B/SS 1891–1906 3 [14]
Hamilton, BillyBilly Hamilton† .4552 7,584 CF 1888–1901 5 [15]
Gehrig, LouLou Gehrig† .4474 9,660 1B 1923–1939 5 [16]
Bonds, BarryBarry Bonds .4443 12,606 LF 1986–2007 10 [6]
Joyce, BillBill Joyce .4349 4,149 3B/1B 1890–1892
1894–1898		 0 [17]
Hornsby, RogersRogers Hornsby† .4337 9,475 2B 1915–1937 9 [18]
Cobb, TyTy Cobb† .4330 13,072 CF 1905–1928 7 [19]
Foxx, JimmieJimmie Foxx† .4283 9,670 1B 1925–1942
1944–1945		 3 [20]
Speaker, TrisTris Speaker† .4279 11,991 CF 1907–1928 4 [21]
Votto, JoeyJoey Votto* .4247 5,412 1B 2007– 4 [8]
Collins, EddieEddie Collins† .4244 12,037 2B 1906–1930 0 [22]
Fain, FerrisFerris Fain .4241 4,904 1B 1947–1955 1 [23]
Brouthers, DanDan Brouthers† .4233 7,658 1B 1879–1896
1904		 5 [24]
Bishop, MaxMax Bishop .4230 5,789 2B 1924–1935 0 [25]
Jackson, Shoeless JoeShoeless Joe Jackson .4227 5,690 LF 1908–1920 1 [26]
Mantle, MickeyMickey Mantle† .4205 9,909 CF 1951–1968 3 [27]
Cochrane, MickeyMickey Cochrane† .4192 6,206 C 1925–1937 1 [9]
Thomas, FrankFrank Thomas† .4191 10,074 DH/1B 1990–2008 4 [28]
Martínez, EdgarEdgar Martínez .4178 8,672 DH/3B 1987–2004 3 [29]
Musial, StanStan Musial† .4167 12,712 LF/1B 1941–1944
1946–1963		 6 [30]
Childs, CupidCupid Childs .4157 6,766 2B 1888
1890–1901		 1 [31]
Boggs, WadeWade Boggs† .4150 10,740 3B 1982–1999 6 [32]
Burkett, JesseJesse Burkett† .4149 9,620 LF 1890–1905 1 [33]
Helton, ToddTodd Helton .4140 9,453 1B 1997–2013 2 [34]
Ott, MelMel Ott† .4140 11,337 RF 1926–1947 4 [35]
Thomas, RoyRoy Thomas .4135 6,575 CF 1899–1911 2 [36]
O'Doul, LeftyLefty O'Doul .4133 3,659 LF 1919–1920
1922–1923
1928–1934		 1 [37]
Greenberg, HankHank Greenberg† .4118 6,096 1B 1930
1933–1941
1945–1947		 0 [38]
Delahanty, EdEd Delahanty† .4112 8,400 LF 1888–1903 2 [39]
Ramirez, MannyManny Ramirez .4106 9,774 LF 1993–2011 3 [40]
Keller, CharlieCharlie Keller .4099 4,604 LF 1939–1943
1945–1952		 0 [41]
Stanky, EddieEddie Stanky .4098 5,435 2B 1943–1953 2 [42]
Heilmann, HarryHarry Heilmann† .4095 8,960 RF 1914
1916–1930
1932		 0 [43]
Robinson, JackieJackie Robinson† .4089 5,802 2B 1947–1956 1 [44]
Cullenbine, RoyRoy Cullenbine .4082 4,787 RF 1938–1947 0 [45]
Stenzel, JakeJake Stenzel .4078 3,425 CF 1890
1892–1899		 0 [46]
Bagwell, JeffJeff Bagwell .4076 9,431 1B 1991–2005 0 [47]
Lyons, DennyDenny Lyons .4074 5,010 3B 1885–1897 1 [48]
Stephenson, RiggsRiggs Stephenson .4065 5,134 LF 1921–1934 0 [49]
Berkman, LanceLance Berkman .4060 7,814 LF/1B/RF 1999–2013 0 [50]
Vaughan, ArkyArky Vaughan† .4058 7,721 SS 1932–1943
1947–1948		 3 [10]
Trout, MikeMike Trout* .4053 3,541 CF 2011- 0 [51]
Harris, JoeJoe Harris .4044 3,574 1B 1914
1917
1919
1922–1928		 0 [52]
Waner, PaulPaul Waner† .4043 10,762 RF 1926–1945 0 [53]
Gehringer, CharlieCharlie Gehringer† .4036 10,237 2B 1924–1942 0 [54]
Cunningham, JoeJoe Cunningham .4035 4,061 1B/RF 1954
1956–1966		 1 [55]
Browning, PetePete Browning .4028 5,315 CF/LF 1882–1894 2 [56]
Blue, LuLu Blue .4022 7,207 1B 1921–1933 0 [57]
Thome, JimJim Thome .4019 10,313 1B/DH/3B 1991–2012 0 [58]
Kelley, JoeJoe Kelley† .4017 8,120 LF 1891–1906
1908		 0 [59]
Henderson, RickeyRickey Henderson† .4012 13,346 LF 1979–2003 1 [60]
Jones, ChipperChipper Jones .4011 10,614 3B 1993
1995–2012		 1 [61]
Walker, LarryLarry Walker .4002 8,030 RF 1989–2005 2 [62]
Lange, BillBill Lange .4001 3,609 CF 1893–1899 0 [63]

See also

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "Official Rules: 10.00 The Official Scorer". MLB.com. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  2. ↑ Verducci, Tom (April 5, 2004). "Smart Stats, Dumb Stats". CNN Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  3. ↑ Lewis, Michael (2003). Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game. United States: W.W. Norton & Company Inc. p. 127. ISBN 0-393-05765-8.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ted Williams Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Yearly League Leaders & Records for On-Base%". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  6. 1 2 "Barry Bonds Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Single-Season Leaders & Records for On-Base%". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  8. 1 2 "Joey Votto Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  9. 1 2 "Mickey Cochrane Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  10. 1 2 "Arky Vaughan Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Rules for Election: BBWAA". National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  12. ↑ Neyer, Rob (August 2, 2001). "Say it ain't so ... for Joe and the Hall". ESPN Classic. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved January 15, 2010.
  13. ↑ "Babe Ruth Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  14. ↑ "John McGraw Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Billy Hamilton Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  16. ↑ "Lou Gehrig Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Bill Joyce Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  18. ↑ "Rogers Hornsby Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  19. ↑ "Ty Cobb Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Jimmie Foxx Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  21. ↑ "Tris Speaker Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  22. ↑ "Eddie Collins Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  23. ↑ "Ferris Fain Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Dan Brouthers Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  25. ↑ "Max Bishop Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Joe Jackson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  27. ↑ "Mickey Mantle Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  28. ↑ "Frank Thomas Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  29. ↑ "Edgar Martínez Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  30. ↑ "Stan Musial Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  31. ↑ "Cupid Childs Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  32. ↑ "Wade Boggs Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  33. ↑ "Jesse Burkett Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Todd Helton Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  35. ↑ "Mel Ott Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  36. ↑ "Roy Thomas Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  37. ↑ "Lefty O'Doul Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  38. ↑ "Hank Greenberg Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  39. ↑ "Ed Delahanty Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Manny Ramirez Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  41. ↑ "Charlie Keller Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  42. ↑ "Eddie Stanky Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  43. ↑ "Harry Heilmann Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  44. ↑ "Jackie Robinson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  45. ↑ "Roy Cullenbine Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  46. ↑ "Jake Stenzel Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  47. ↑ "Jeff Bagwell Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  48. ↑ "Denny Lyons Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  49. ↑ "Riggs Stephenson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  50. ↑ "Lance Berkman Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  51. ↑
  52. ↑ "Joe Harris Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  53. ↑ "Paul Waner Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  54. ↑ "Charlie Gehringer Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  55. ↑ "Joe Cunningham Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  56. ↑ "Pete Browning Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  57. ↑ "Lu Blue Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  58. ↑ "Jim Thome Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  59. ↑ "Joe Kelley Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  60. ↑ "Rickey Henderson Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  61. ↑ "Chipper Jones Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  62. ↑ "Larry Walker Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.
  63. ↑ "Bill Lange Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 14, 2010.

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