# List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a catcher leaders

In baseball statistics, a putout (denoted by PO) is given to a defensive player who records an out by tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base (a tagout), 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 flyout), or being positioned closest to a batter or runner called out for interference. The catcher is a defensive 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 great majority of putouts recorded by catchers result from strikeouts, with almost all of the rest resulting from catching pop-ups and retiring runners tagged out or forced out at home plate, including attempts to steal home. On rare occasions, a catcher can record two putouts on a single play, usually by tagging out a runner trying to steal home immediately after the batter has struck out; on August 2, 1985, Carlton Fisk of the Chicago White Sox tagged out two New York Yankees moments apart at home plate when both tried to score on a double. The feat was duplicated by Paul Lo Duca of the New York Mets in Game 1 of the 2006 National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Putout totals are often not regarded as a strong indicator of a catcher's defensive skill because of the high number resulting from strikeouts. As trends in baseball have changed, with an increasing number of strikeouts per game, the proportion of catchers' putouts from strikeouts has risen steadily. In 1901, about 73% of catchers' putouts in the major leagues resulted from strikeouts (the figure is imprecise due to the occasional uncaught third strike either resulting in no putout or a putout being awarded to a different player); that figure rose to 78% in 1930, 84% in 1950 and 92% in 1980. In the 2021 season, 99% of catchers' putouts resulted from strikeouts; remarkably, the Atlanta Braves pitching staff recorded 1,417 strikeouts, but the team's catchers only recorded 1,394 putouts. Accordingly, putout totals for catchers have also risen steadily; through 2021, the top six major league catchers in career putouts, and 11 of the top 16, all made their major league debuts after 1990, with all 16 debuting in 1969 or later. Through 2021, 12 of the top 13 single-season totals were recorded in 2016 or later, and 90 of the top 100 were recorded since 1993.
Yadier Molina holds the record for the most putouts by a catcher with 15,122. Molina surpassed the previous holder, Hall of Famer Iván Rodríguez, on June 14, 2022, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rodríguez (14,864) remains the only other catcher to record 14,000 career putouts.

## Key

| Rank | Among leaders in career putouts. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player (2025 POs) | Recorded putouts in 2025 |
| MLB | Career putouts as a catcher in Major League Baseball |
| * | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame |
| Bold | Active player |

## List

* Stats updated as of September 29, 2024.
| Rank | Player (2025 POs) | Putouts as a catcher | Putouts as a catcher | Putouts as a catcher | Other leagues, notes |
| Rank | Player (2025 POs) | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| 1 | Yadier Molina | 15,122 | 0 | 15,122 | |
| 2 | Iván Rodríguez* | 14,864 | 12,377 | 2,487 | Held major league record, 2007-2022 |
| 3 | Jason Kendall | 13,019 | 3,116 | 9,903 | |
| 4 | Brad Ausmus | 12,839 | 2,104 | 10,735 | |
| 5 | A. J. Pierzynski | 12,600 | 10,562 | 2,038 | |
| 6 | Brian McCann | 12,048 | 4,086 | 7,962 | |
| 7 | Gary Carter* | 11,785 | 0 | 11,785 | Held major league record, 1988-1989, 1991-2007; held NL record, 1987-2018 |
| 8 | Russell Martin | 11,612 | 4,815 | 6,797 | |
| 9 | Carlton Fisk* | 11,369 | 11,369 | 0 | Held American League record, 1990-2007 |
| 10 | Bob Boone | 11,260 | 5,583 | 5,677 | Held major league record, 1989-1991 |
| 11 | Tony Peña | 11,212 | 4,408 | 6,804 | |
| 12 | Kurt Suzuki | 10,869 | 7,755 | 3,114 | |
| 13 | Mike Piazza* | 10,844 | 0 | 10,844 | |
| 14 | Benito Santiago | 10,816 | 894 | 9,922 | |
| 15 | Jason Varitek | 10,166 | 10,166 | 0 | |
| 16 | Jorge Posada | 10,016 | 10,016 | 0 | |
| 17 | Bill Freehan | 9,941 | 9,941 | 0 | Held major league record, 1975-1988; held AL record, 1973-1990; held AL single-season record, 1967-1997 |
| 18 | Jim Sundberg | 9,767 | 9,406 | 361 | |
| 19 | Lance Parrish | 9,647 | 8,059 | 1,588 | |
| 20 | Salvador Pérez (0) | 9,419 | 9,419 | 0 | |
| 21 | J. T. Realmuto (0) | 9,402 | 0 | 9,402 | |
| 22 | John Roseboro | 9,291 | 1,396 | 7,895 | Held major league record, 1969-1975; held NL record, 1966-1972; held single-season record, 1959-1963 |
| 23 | Johnny Bench* | 9,249 | 0 | 9,249 | Held National League record, 1980-1987 |
| 24 | Yasmani Grandal (0) | 9,115 | 2,235 | 6,880 | Holds the single-season record of 1,169 (set in 2019) |
| 25 | Ramón Hernández | 9,012 | 5,740 | 3,272 | |
| 26 | Javy López | 8,990 | 1,570 | 7,420 | |
| 27 | Johnny Edwards | 8,925 | 0 | 8,925 | Held National League record, 1972-1980; held the single-season record, 1963-2019 |
| 28 | Ted Simmons* | 8,906 | 1,330 | 7,576 | |
| 29 | Martín Maldonado (0) | 8,883 | 6,770 | 2,113 | |
| 30 | Yogi Berra* | 8,738 | 8,723 | 15 | Held major league record, 1959-1969; held AL record, 1959-1973 |
| 31 | Yan Gomes (0) | 8,378 | 5,203 | 3,175 | Held AL single-season record, 2014-2019 |
| 32 | Buster Posey | 8,359 | 0 | 8,359 | |
| 33 | Mike Scioscia | 8,335 | 0 | 8,335 | |
| 34 | Tim McCarver | 8,206 | 55 | 8,151 | |
| 35 | Bengie Molina | 8,122 | 4,989 | 3,133 | |
| 36 | Dan Wilson | 8,109 | 7,921 | 188 | Held AL single-season record, 1997-2014 |
| 37 | Jerry Grote | 8,081 | 87 | 7,994 | |
| 38 | Jonathan Lucroy | 8,041 | 2,183 | 5,858 | |
| 39 | Bill Dickey* | 7,965 | 7,965 | 0 | Held major league record, 1942-1959; held AL record, 1942-1959 |
| 40 | Mike Lieberthal | 7,829 | 0 | 7,829 | |
| 41 | Matt Wieters | 7,697 | 5,597 | 2,100 | |
| 42 | Carlos Ruiz | 7,668 | 282 | 7,386 | |
| 43 | Sandy Alomar Jr. | 7,667 | 7,335 | 332 | |
| 44 | Joe Girardi | 7,619 | 2,626 | 4,993 | |
| 45 | Chris Iannetta | 7,613 | 3,310 | 4,303 | |
| 46 | Miguel Montero | 7,516 | 192 | 7,324 | |
| 47 | Jim Hegan | 7,506 | 7,170 | 336 | |
| 48 | Terry Steinbach | 7,505 | 7,505 | 0 | |
| 49 | Rick Dempsey | 7,367 | 6,556 | 811 | |
| 50 | Del Crandall | 7,352 | 304 | 7,048 | |
| 51 | Roy Campanella* | 7,295 | 0 | 6,520 | Includes 775 in Negro National League (incomplete); held single-season record, 1953-1959 |
| 52 | Gabby Hartnett* | 7,292 | 0 | 7,292 | Held major league record, 1941-1942; held NL record, 1936-1966 |
| 53 | Wilson Ramos | 7,256 | 1,311 | 5,945 | |
| 54 | Rick Ferrell* | 7,248 | 7,248 | 0 | |
| 55 | Christian Vázquez (0) | 7,235 | 7,235 | 0 | |
| 56 | Charles Johnson | 7,218 | 1,582 | 5,636 | |
| 57 | Ray Schalk* | 7,168 | 7,161 | 7 | Held major league record, 1925-1941; held AL record 1920-1942 |
| 58 | Mike Matheny | 7,117 | 1,860 | 5,257 | |
| 59 | Alan Ashby | 7,086 | 1,991 | 5,095 | |
| 60 | Sherm Lollar | 7,059 | 7,059 | 0 | |
| 61 | Tom Haller | 7,012 | 220 | 6,792 | |
| 62 | Deacon McGuire | 6,856 | 1,661 | 4,041 | Includes 1,154 in American Association; held major league record, 1901-1925 |
| 63 | Mike Zunino | 6,832 | 6,832 | 0 | |
| 64 | Rod Barajas | 6,768 | 3,416 | 3,352 | |
| 65 | Darrell Porter | 6,756 | 4,497 | 2,259 | |
| 66 | John Buck | 6,733 | 4,264 | 2,469 | |
| 67 | Travis d'Arnaud (0) | 6,713 | 659 | 6,054 | |
| 68 | Damian Miller | 6,696 | 786 | 5,910 | |
| 69 | Darrin Fletcher | 6,678 | 2,992 | 3,686 | |
| 70 | Miguel Olivo | 6,675 | 3,950 | 2,725 | |
| 71 | Alex Avila | 6,658 | 5,373 | 1,285 | |
| 72 | Al López* | 6,644 | 144 | 6,500 | |
| 73 | James McCann (0) | 6,628 | 5,210 | 1,418 | |
| 74 | Terry Kennedy | 6,555 | 1,082 | 5,473 | |
| 75 | Rick Cerone | 6,548 | 5,634 | 914 | |
| 76 | Todd Hundley | 6,535 | 0 | 6,535 | |
| 77 | Elston Howard | 6,447 | 6,447 | 0 | Held AL single-season record, 1964-1967 |
| 78 | Mickey Cochrane* | 6,414 | 6,414 | 0 | |
| 79 | Tucker Barnhart (0) | 6,354 | 653 | 5,701 | |
| 80 | Jason Castro | 6,323 | 5,264 | 1,059 | |
| 81 | Paul Lo Duca | 6,311 | 0 | 6,311 | |
| 82 | Jeff Mathis | 6,294 | 3,843 | 2,451 | |
| 83 | Butch Wynegar | 6,281 | 6,281 | 0 | |
| 84 | Thurman Munson | 6,253 | 6,253 | 0 | |
| 85 | Brent Mayne | 6,186 | 3,706 | 2,480 | |
| 86 | Earl Battey | 6,176 | 6,176 | 0 | Held AL single-season record, 1961-1964 |
| 87 | Don Slaught | 6,158 | 3,911 | 2,247 | |
| 88 | Gregg Zaun | 6,134 | 4,465 | 1,669 | |
| 89 | Dioner Navarro | 6,113 | 4,651 | 1,462 | |
| 89 | Steve Yeager | 6,110 | 234 | 5,876 | |
| 91 | Ernie Whitt | 6,091 | 5,795 | 296 | |
| 92 | Joe Oliver | 6,059 | 1,329 | 4,730 | |
| 93 | Nick Hundley | 6,045 | 529 | 5,516 | |
| 94 | José Molina | 6,033 | 5,989 | 44 | |
| 95 | Michael Barrett | 6,020 | 34 | 5,986 | |
| 96 | Manny Sanguillén | 5,996 | 341 | 5,655 | |
| 97 | Brian Schneider | 5,987 | 0 | 5,987 | |
| 98 | Steve O'Neill | 5,967 | 5,967 | 0 | |
| 99 | Rollie Hemsley | 5,868 | 4,251 | 1,617 | |
| 100 | Joe Mauer* | 5,831 | 5,831 | 0 | |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | Putouts as catcher | Putouts as catcher | Putouts as catcher | Other leagues, notes |
| Player | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| Ernie Lombardi* | 5,694 | 0 | 5,694 | |
| Wilbert Robinson* | 5,174 | 497 | 2,503 | Includes 2,174 in American Association |
| Joe Torre* | 4,850 | 0 | 4,850 | |
| Roger Bresnahan* | 4,309 | 266 | 4,043 | |
| Buck Ewing* | 3,301 | 0 | 2,929 | Includes 372 in Players' League |
| Connie Mack* | 2,701 | 0 | 2,252 | Includes 449 in Players' League |
| Craig Biggio* | 2,456 | 0 | 2,456 | |
| Josh Gibson* | 2,306 | 0 | 0 | Includes 2,306 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
| King Kelly* | 2,198 | 0 | 1,766 | Includes 233 in American Association, 199 in Players' League |
| Biz Mackey* | 2,196 | 0 | 0 | Includes 847 in Negro National League (second), 635 in Eastern Colored League, 493 in Negro National League (first), 221 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
| Deacon White* | 2,182 | 0 | 1,150 | Includes 1,032 in National Association |
| Jim O'Rourke* | 918 | 0 | 855 | Includes 63 in National Association |
| Jimmie Foxx* | 420 | 411 | 9 | |
| Louis Santop* | 145 | 0 | 0 | Includes 145 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete) |