# List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a left fielder leaders

In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by PO or fly out when appropriate) is given to a defensive player who records an out by tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base, catching a batted or thrown ball and tagging a base to put out a batter or runner (a force out), catching a thrown ball and tagging a base to record an out on an appeal play, catching a third strike (a strikeout), catching a batted ball on the fly (a fly out), or being positioned closest to a runner called out for interference. 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 have 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 overwhelming majority of putouts recorded by left fielders, almost to exclusivity, result from catching fly balls. However, in extraordinary circumstances, an outfielder may record a putout by receiving a throw to force out or tag out a runner while covering a base if one or more infielders are out of position to retrieve an errant throw, or by tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play; however, even in such circumstances, outfielders will more typically act as a backup to infielders than cover a base themselves. Historically, putout totals for outfielders rose after 1920 with the end of the dead-ball era; the same circumstances which had kept home run totals low, such as overused baseballs and legal adulterations including the spitball, had similarly hindered the type of power hitting which lent itself to long fly balls. But as strikeout totals have risen in baseball in recent decades, the frequency of other defensive outs including flyouts has declined; as a result, putout totals for outfielders have likewise declined. Through the 2022 season, 17 of the top 20 single-season left field putout totals were recorded between 1920 and 1992; none of the top 39 have been recorded since 1997.
Because game accounts and box scores often did not distinguish between the outfield positions, there has been some difficulty in determining precise defensive statistics before 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 putout totals are unavailable; players whose totals are missing the figures for pre-1901 games are notated in the table below. Because they are expected to cover more territory in the outfield than their counterparts on either side, often being the fastest player of the three, center fielders typically record the highest putout totals; left fielders usually record slightly more putouts than right fielders due to the ball being more frequently hit to the left side of the field. Barry Bonds is the all-time leader in career putouts as a left fielder with 5,226. Rickey Henderson (5,215) is second all-time, and the only other player with over 5,000 career putouts as a left fielder.
As of November 2023, no active players are in the top 100 for career putouts as a left fielder. The active leader is current free agent David Peralta in 106th with 1,511.

## Key

| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career putouts. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player (2025 POs) | Number of recorded putouts during the 2025 Major League Baseball season |
| MLB | Total career putouts as a left fielder in Major League Baseball |
| * | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame |
| † | Denotes total is missing figures for pre-1901 games |
| Bold | Denotes active player |

## List

* Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 season.
| Rank | Player (2025 POs) | Putouts as a left fielder | Putouts as a left fielder | Putouts as a left fielder | Other leagues, notes |
| Rank | Player (2025 POs) | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| 1 | Barry Bonds | 5,226 | 0 | 5,226 | Holds the National League single-season record (366 in 1989) |
| 2 | Rickey Henderson* | 5,215 | 4,526 | 689 | Held major league record, 2000-2007 |
| 3 | Zack Wheat* | 4,944 | 107 | 4,837 | Held modern major league record, 1921-2000; held modern National League record, 1921-2004 |
| 4 | Luis Gonzalez | 4,442 | 233 | 4,209 | |
| 5 | Goose Goslin * | 3,826 | 3,826 | 0 | Held American League record, 1936-1995 |
| 6 | Tim Raines* | 3,769 | 1,472 | 2,297 | |
| 7 | Lou Brock* | 3,710 | 0 | 3,710 | |
| 8 | Bobby Veach | 3,624 | 3,624 | 0 | Held American League record, 1921-1936; held the single-season record, 1921-1932 |
| 9 | Ted Williams* | 3,541 | 3,541 | 0 | |
| 10 | Carl Yastrzemski* | 3,521 | 3,521 | 0 | |
| 11 | Joe Medwick* | 3,455 | 0 | 3,455 | |
| 12 | Jimmy Sheckard † | 3,402 | 0 | 3,402 | Held modern major league record, 1903-1921; held modern National League record, 1902-1921; held the single-season record, 1903-1904; held NL single-season record, 1903-1905 |
| 13 | Sherry Magee | 3,283 | 0 | 3,283 | Held single-season record, 1905-1908 |
| 14 | Bob Johnson | 3,243 | 3,243 | 0 | |
| 15 | Carl Crawford | 3,182 | 2,819 | 363 | |
| 16 | Roy White | 3,158 | 3,158 | 0 | |
| 17 | Carlos Lee | 3,049 | 1,636 | 1,413 | |
| 18 | Jim Rice* | 3,027 | 3,027 | 0 | |
| 19 | Charlie Jamieson | 2,983 | 2,983 | 0 | |
| 20 | George Foster | 2,963 | 20 | 2,943 | |
| 21 | Minnie Miñoso* | 2,934 | 2,900 | 34 | Negro League totals unavailable |
| 22 | Matt Holliday | 2,842 | 189 | 2,653 | |
| 23 | Billy Williams* | 2,811 | 0 | 2,811 | |
| 24 | Fred Clarke* † | 2,784 | 0 | 2,784 | Held single-season record, 1908-1921 |
| 25 | José Cruz | 2,773 | 4 | 2,769 | |
| 26 | Al Simmons* | 2,772 | 2,635 | 137 | |
| 27 | Alex Gordon | 2,699 | 2,699 | 0 | |
| 28 | Garret Anderson | 2,675 | 2,455 | 220 | |
| 29 | Joe Vosmik | 2,613 | 2,524 | 89 | Holds the single-season record of 424 (set in 1932) |
| 30 | Duffy Lewis | 2,577 | 2,577 | 0 | Held American League record, 1916-1921 |
| 31 | Ralph Kiner* | 2,543 | 142 | 2,401 | |
| 32 | Heinie Manush* | 2,539 | 2,539 | 0 | |
| 33 | Greg Vaughn | 2,521 | 1,743 | 778 | |
| 34 | Ken Williams | 2,515 | 2,392 | 123 | |
| 35 | Raúl Ibañez | 2,510 | 1,877 | 633 | |
| 36 | George Burns | 2,506 | 0 | 2,506 | |
| 37 | Del Ennis | 2,481 | 29 | 2,452 | |
| 38 | Gary Matthews | 2,440 | 0 | 2,440 | |
| 39 | Jack Graney | 2,307 | 2,307 | 0 | |
| 40 | Bibb Falk | 2,306 | 2,306 | 0 | |
| 41 | Ben Oglivie | 2,296 | 2,296 | 0 | |
| 42 | Gene Woodling | 2,215 | 2,171 | 44 | |
| 43 | Jeff Heath | 2,214 | 1,960 | 254 | |
| 44 | Joe Rudi | 2,208 | 2,208 | 0 | |
| 45 | Shannon Stewart | 2,192 | 2,192 | 0 | |
| 46 | Bob Bescher | 2,191 | 0 | 2,191 | |
| 47 | Jason Bay | 2,183 | 443 | 1,740 | |
| 48 | Lonnie Smith | 2,173 | 502 | 1,671 | |
| 49 | Ryan Braun | 2,151 | 0 | 2,151 | |
| 50 | Vince Coleman | 2,109 | 344 | 1,765 | |
| 51 | Ron Gant | 2,108 | 53 | 2,055 | |
| 52 | Albert Belle | 2,107 | 2,107 | 0 | |
| 53 | Jo-Jo Moore | 2,092 | 0 | 2,092 | |
| 54 | George Bell | 2,080 | 1,831 | 249 | |
| 55 | Gus Zernial | 2,070 | 2,070 | 0 | |
| 56 | Mike Greenwell | 2,031 | 2,031 | 0 | |
| 57 | Lou Piniella | 2,025 | 2,025 | 0 | |
| 58 | Pat Burrell | 2,016 | 0 | 2,016 | |
| 59 | Irish Meusel | 1,981 | 1 | 1,980 | |
| 60 | Babe Ruth* | 1,978 | 1,955 | 23 | |
| 61 | Topsy Hartsel † | 1,976 | 1,710 | 266 | Held American League record, 1907-1909 |
| 62 | Carson Bigbee | 1,953 | 0 | 1,953 | |
| 63 | Hank Sauer | 1,941 | 0 | 1,941 | |
| 64 | Moisés Alou | 1,938 | 0 | 1,938 | |
| 65 | Augie Galan | 1,918 | 11 | 1,907 | |
| 66 | Kevin McReynolds | 1,883 | 375 | 1,508 | |
| 67 | Alfonso Soriano | 1,881 | 120 | 1,761 | |
| 68 | Willie Stargell* | 1,863 | 0 | 1,863 | |
| 69 | Dusty Baker | 1,861 | 106 | 1,755 | |
| 70 | Greg Luzinski | 1,839 | 0 | 1,839 | |
| 71 | Charlie Keller | 1,834 | 1,834 | 0 | |
| 72 | Justin Upton | 1,819 | 1,139 | 680 | |
| 73 | Cliff Floyd | 1,814 | 31 | 1,783 | |
| 74 | Bernard Gilkey | 1,798 | 6 | 1,792 | |
| 75 | Adam Dunn | 1,794 | 18 | 1,776 | |
| 76 | Steve Kemp | 1,786 | 1,670 | 116 | |
| 77 | Gary Ward | 1,783 | 1,783 | 0 | |
| 78 | Patsy Dougherty | 1,777 | 1,777 | 0 | Held American League record, 1911-1916 |
| 79 | Matty McIntyre | 1,749 | 1,749 | 0 | Held American League record, 1909-1911; held the single-season record, 1904-1905; held AL single-season record, 1904-1916 |
| 80 | Brett Gardner | 1,747 | 1,747 | 0 | |
| 81 | Luis Polonia | 1,740 | 1,730 | 10 | |
| 82 | Dale Mitchell | 1,739 | 1,736 | 3 | |
| 83 | Willie Horton | 1,735 | 1,735 | 0 | |
| 84 | Geoff Jenkins | 1,690 | 0 | 1,690 | |
| 85 | Dan Gladden | 1,662 | 1,646 | 16 | |
| 86 | Larry Herndon | 1,648 | 1,311 | 337 | |
| 87 | Steve Henderson | 1,635 | 349 | 1,286 | |
| 88 | Tommy Davis | 1,632 | 449 | 1,183 | |
| 89 | Riggs Stephenson | 1,629 | 0 | 1,629 | |
| 90 | B. J. Surhoff | 1,626 | 1,376 | 250 | |
| 91 | Rusty Greer | 1,621 | 1,621 | 0 | |
| 92 | Manny Ramirez | 1,597 | 1,299 | 298 | |
| 93 | Melky Cabrera | 1,590 | 1,295 | 295 | |
| 94 | Andrew Benintendi (0) | 1,584 | 1,584 | 0 | |
| 95 | Charlie Maxwell | 1,579 | 1,579 | 0 | |
| 96 | Phil Bradley | 1,575 | 1,281 | 294 | |
| 97 | Stan Musial* | 1,571 | 0 | 1,571 | |
| 98 | Christian Yelich (0) | 1,563 | 0 | 1,563 | |
| 99 | Sid Gordon | 1,556 | 0 | 1,556 | |
| 100 | Willie Wilson | 1,552 | 1,552 | 0 | |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | Putouts as a left fielder | Putouts as a left fielder | Putouts as a left fielder | Other leagues, notes |
| Player | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| Max Carey* | 1,500 | 0 | 1,500 | |
| Chick Hafey* | 1,497 | 0 | 1,497 | |
| Frank Robinson* | 1,479 | 181 | 1,298 | |
| Jesse Burkett* † | 1,379 | 1,072 | 307 | Held modern major league record, 1901-1903; held American League record, 1903-1904, 1905-1907; held modern National League record, 1901-1902; held single-season record, 1901-1903; held AL single-season record, 1902-1904 |
| Monte Irvin* | 1,106 | 0 | 1,034 | Includes 72 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
| Enos Slaughter* | 974 | 188 | 786 | |
| Dave Winfield* | 838 | 635 | 203 | |
| Harmon Killebrew* | 705 | 705 | 0 | |
| Kiki Cuyler* | 676 | 0 | 676 | |
| Hank Aaron* | 550 | 3 | 547 | |
| Chipper Jones* | 545 | 0 | 545 | |
| Joe Kelley* † | 531 | 1 | 530 | |
| Ed Delahanty* † | 458 | 279 | 179 | |
| Chuck Klein* | 454 | 0 | 454 | |
| Hank Greenberg* | 383 | 383 | 0 | |
| Willie McCovey* | 372 | 0 | 372 | |
| Hack Wilson* | 349 | 0 | 349 | |
| Earle Combs* | 348 | 348 | 0 | |
| Orlando Cepeda* | 340 | 0 | 340 | |
| Freddie Lindstrom* | 323 | 0 | 323 | |
| Mule Suttles* | 269 | 0 | 0 | Includes 199 in Negro National League (first), 70 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
| Lloyd Waner* | 267 | 0 | 267 | |
| Cool Papa Bell* | 234 | 0 | 0 | Includes 233 in Negro National League (second), 1 in Negro National League (first) (incomplete) |
| Mickey Mantle* | 191 | 191 | 0 | |
| Billy Southworth* | 182 | 15 | 167 | |
| Edd Roush* | 162 | 0 | 82 | Includes 80 in Federal League |
| Craig Biggio* | 147 | 0 | 147 | |
| Robin Yount* | 143 | 143 | 0 | |
| Harry Hooper* | 141 | 141 | 0 | |
| Joe DiMaggio* | 136 | 136 | 0 | |
| Earl Averill* | 122 | 120 | 2 | |
| Cristóbal Torriente* | 113 | 0 | 0 | Includes 113 in Negro National League (first) (incomplete) |
| Sam Crawford* † | 100 | 89 | 11 | |
| Willard Brown* | 65 | 0 | 0 | Includes 65 in Negro American League (incomplete) |
| Mel Ott* | 50 | 0 | 50 | |
| Martín Dihigo* | 35 | 0 | 0 | Includes 21 in Negro National League (second), 11 in Eastern Colored League, 3 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
| Hugh Duffy* † | 20 | 14 | 6 | |
| Todd Helton* | 14 | 0 | 14 | |
| Pete Hill* | 14 | 0 | 0 | Includes 14 in Negro National League (first) (incomplete) |