List of Major League Baseball career games played leaders
Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game, are included on a starting lineup card or are announced as ex ante substitutes, whether or not they play,[1] although, in Major League Baseball, the application of this statistic does not extend to consecutive games played streaks. A starting pitcher, then, may be credited with a game played even as he is not credited with a game started or an inning pitched.
![](../I/m/Pete_rose_at_bat.jpg)
Ty Cobb was the first player to reach 3,000 games played. Cobb's record of 3,035 games played lasted for 46 seasons, until Hank Aaron would break the record. Aaron's record was subsequently broken by Carl Yastrzemski in 1983, and finally broken the following season by Pete Rose, who currently holds the record for most games played at 3,562. Rickey Henderson, Eddie Murray, Stan Musial, and Cal Ripken, Jr. are the only other players to play in over 3,000 career games.
Key
Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career games played. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2020 Gs) | Number of games played during the 2020 Major League Baseball season. |
G | Total career games played. |
* | denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Bold | denotes active player.[lower-alpha 1] |
List
![](../I/m/Cal_Ripken%2C_Jr_in_1996.jpg)
- Stats updated as of August 14, 2020
Rank | Player (2020 Gs) | G |
---|---|---|
1 | Pete Rose | 3,562 |
2 | Carl Yastrzemski * | 3,308 |
3 | Hank Aaron * | 3,298 |
4 | Rickey Henderson * | 3,081 |
5 | Ty Cobb * | 3,035 |
6 | Eddie Murray * | 3,026 |
Stan Musial * | 3,026 | |
8 | Cal Ripken Jr. * | 3,001 |
9 | Willie Mays * | 2,992 |
10 | Barry Bonds | 2,986 |
11 | Dave Winfield * | 2,973 |
12 | Omar Vizquel | 2,968 |
13 | Rusty Staub | 2,951 |
14 | Adrián Beltré | 2,933 |
15 | Brooks Robinson * | 2,896 |
16 | Robin Yount * | 2,856 |
17 | Craig Biggio * | 2,850 |
18 | Albert Pujols (15) | 2,838 |
19 | Al Kaline * | 2,834 |
20 | Rafael Palmeiro | 2,831 |
21 | Harold Baines * | 2,830 |
22 | Eddie Collins * | 2,826 |
23 | Reggie Jackson * | 2,820 |
24 | Frank Robinson * | 2,808 |
25 | Honus Wagner * | 2,794 |
26 | Tris Speaker * | 2,789 |
27 | Alex Rodriguez | 2,784 |
28 | Tony Pérez * | 2,777 |
29 | Derek Jeter * | 2,747 |
30 | Mel Ott * | 2,730 |
31 | George Brett * | 2,707 |
32 | Graig Nettles | 2,700 |
33 | Darrell Evans | 2,687 |
34 | Paul Molitor * | 2,683 |
35 | Ken Griffey, Jr. * | 2,671 |
36 | Rabbit Maranville * | 2,670 |
37 | Ichiro Suzuki | 2,653 |
38 | Joe Morgan * | 2,649 |
39 | Andre Dawson * | 2,627 |
40 | Lou Brock * | 2,616 |
41 | Dwight Evans | 2,606 |
42 | Luis Aparicio * | 2,599 |
43 | Luis Gonzalez | 2,591 |
44 | Willie McCovey * | 2,588 |
45 | Carlos Beltrán | 2,586 |
46 | Steve Finley | 2,583 |
47 | Gary Sheffield | 2,576 |
48 | Ozzie Smith * | 2,573 |
49 | Paul Waner * | 2,549 |
50 | Iván Rodríguez * | 2,543 |
Rank | Player (2020 Gs) | G |
---|---|---|
Jim Thome * | 2,543 | |
52 | Ernie Banks * | 2,528 |
53 | Julio Franco | 2,527 |
54 | Cap Anson * | 2,524 |
55 | Bill Buckner | 2,517 |
Sam Crawford * | 2,517 | |
57 | Gary Gaetti | 2,507 |
58 | Babe Ruth * | 2,503 |
59 | Tim Raines * | 2,502 |
60 | Carlton Fisk * | 2,499 |
Chipper Jones * | 2,499 | |
62 | Johnny Damon | 2,490 |
63 | Dave Concepción | 2,488 |
Billy Williams * | 2,488 | |
65 | Nap Lajoie * | 2,480 |
66 | Max Carey * | 2,476 |
67 | Rod Carew * | 2,469 |
Vada Pinson | 2,469 | |
69 | Dave Parker | 2,466 |
70 | Fred McGriff | 2,460 |
71 | Ted Simmons * | 2,456 |
72 | Bill Dahlen | 2,444 |
73 | Ron Fairly | 2,442 |
74 | Wade Boggs * | 2,440 |
Tony Gwynn * | 2,440 | |
76 | Chili Davis | 2,436 |
77 | Harmon Killebrew * | 2,435 |
78 | Roberto Clemente * | 2,433 |
79 | Willie Davis | 2,429 |
80 | Bobby Abreu | 2,425 |
81 | Luke Appling * | 2,422 |
82 | Miguel Cabrera (17) | 2,417 |
83 | Zack Wheat * | 2,410 |
84 | Mickey Vernon | 2,409 |
85 | David Ortiz | 2,408 |
86 | Buddy Bell | 2,405 |
87 | Sam Rice * | 2,404 |
Mike Schmidt * | 2,404 | |
89 | Mickey Mantle * | 2,401 |
90 | Jake Beckley * | 2,392 |
91 | Eddie Mathews * | 2,391 |
92 | Lou Whitaker | 2,390 |
93 | Bobby Wallace * | 2,383 |
94 | Enos Slaughter * | 2,380 |
95 | Roberto Alomar * | 2,379 |
96 | George Davis * | 2,372 |
Torii Hunter | 2,372 | |
98 | Al Oliver | 2,368 |
99 | Nellie Fox * | 2,367 |
100 | Willie Stargell * | 2,360 |
Notes
- A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.
References
- "Career Leaders & Records for Games Played". Baseball-Reference.com.