# List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a third baseman 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. Third base, or 3B, 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 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.
Third basemen typically record putouts by stepping on third base after receiving a throw from another infielder or the pitcher to force out a runner on a ground out, by catching a pop-up or line drive, or by fielding a ground ball close enough to third base that they can step on the bag for a force out before the runner advances from second base. Other ways in which third basemen often record a putout include receiving a throw from an outfielder to tag a runner trying to reach third base, tagging a runner after a throw from the catcher or pitcher on a stolen base attempt or a pickoff play, receiving a throw to retire a runner who fails to tag up on a fly ball out, receiving a throw to force out a runner on a bunt (possibly a sacrifice hit attempt), and tagging a runner stranded between bases in a rundown play. Because fewer runners advance to third base than to the preceding bases, because of the higher difficulty of throwing out a runner taking a lead off second base, and because there are far fewer attempts to steal third base than second base, third basemen generally record far fewer putouts than any other players except pitchers. Occasionally, a third baseman can record two putouts on a single play; with a runner taking a lead off third base and less than two out, the third baseman can catch a line drive near the base, then step on the bag before the runner can return, completing a double play; alternately, if a runner on second base breaks for third base when the ball is hit, the third baseman can catch a line drive and tag the runner before they can stop and return to second.
As strikeout totals have risen in baseball, the frequency of other defensive outs including ground outs has declined; as a result, putout totals for third basemen have likewise declined, and all but three of the top 25 career leaders began their careers prior to 1961 even though career lengths for third basemen have steadily increased since 1920; eight of the top 13 began their careers before 1925. Through 2022, only four of the top 63 single-season totals have been recorded since 1929, only four of the top 138 since 1957, and only six of the top 499 since 1976. Brooks Robinson is the all-time leader in career putouts as a third baseman with 2,697; he is the only third baseman with more than 2,500 career putouts.

## 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 third baseman in Major League Baseball |
| * | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame |
| Bold | Denotes active player |

## List

* Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 season.
| Rank | Player (2025 POs) | Putouts as a third baseman | Putouts as a third baseman | Putouts as a third baseman | Other leagues, notes |
| Rank | Player (2025 POs) | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| 1 | Brooks Robinson* | 2,697 | 2,697 | 0 | |
| 2 | Jimmy Collins* | 2,372 | 1,182 | 1,190 | Held major league record, 1908–1973; held American League record, 1904–1905; holds the NL single-season record (251 in 1900; tie) |
| 3 | Eddie Yost | 2,356 | 2,356 | 0 | Held American League record, 1960-1973 |
| 4 | Lave Cross | 2,310 | 999 | 1,283 | Includes 28 in American Association; held major league record, 1906-1908 |
| 5 | Pie Traynor* | 2,289 | 0 | 2,289 | |
| 6 | Billy Nash | 2,226 | 0 | 1,947 | Includes 202 in Players' League, 77 in American Association; held major league record, 1895–1906; held NL record, 1896–1933; held NL single-season record, 1887-1889 |
| 7 | Adrián Beltré* | 2,194 | 1,475 | 719 | |
| 8 | Home Run Baker* | 2,154 | 2,154 | 0 | Held American League record, 1918–1920, 1921–1960; held AL single-season record, 1913-1927 |
| 9 | Willie Kamm | 2,151 | 2,151 | 0 | Holds the American League single-season record (243 in 1928) |
| 10 | Eddie Mathews* | 2,049 | 17 | 2,032 | |
| 11 | Willie Jones | 2,045 | 3 | 2,042 | |
| 12 | Jimmy Austin | 2,042 | 2,042 | 0 | Held American League record, 1916–1918, 1920-1921 |
| 13 | Arlie Latham | 1,976 | 0 | 869 | Includes 1,042 in American Association, 65 in Players' League; held major league record, 1894-1895 |
| 14 | Ron Santo* | 1,955 | 25 | 1,930 | |
| 15 | Stan Hack | 1,944 | 0 | 1,944 | |
| 16 | Graig Nettles | 1,898 | 1,583 | 315 | |
| 17 | Pinky Higgins | 1,848 | 1,848 | 0 | |
| 18 | George Kell* | 1,825 | 1,825 | 0 | |
| 19 | Billy Shindle | 1,815 | 0 | 1,370 | Includes 443 in American Association, 2 in Players' League |
| 20 | Buddy Bell | 1,798 | 1,509 | 289 | |
| 21 | Larry Gardner | 1,789 | 1,789 | 0 | |
| 22 | Harlond Clift | 1,777 | 1,777 | 0 | |
| | Jerry Denny | 1,777 | 0 | 1,777 | Held major league record, 1889–1894; held National League record, 1886–1896; held single-season record, 1883–1886; held NL single-season record, 1883-1887 |
| 24 | Harry Steinfeldt | 1,776 | 0 | 1,776 | |
| 25 | Bill Bradley | 1,755 | 1,490 | 210 | Includes 55 in Federal League; held American League record, 1902–1904, 1905-1916 |
| 26 | Gary Gaetti | 1,699 | 1,458 | 241 | |
| 27 | Denny Lyons | 1,675 | 0 | 726 | Includes 949 in American Association; holds the single-season record of 255 (set in 1887) |
| 28 | Tim Wallach | 1,662 | 27 | 1,635 | |
| 29 | Sal Bando | 1,647 | 1,647 | 0 | |
| 30 | Mike Schmidt* | 1,591 | 0 | 1,591 | |
| 31 | Ken Keltner | 1,576 | 1,576 | 0 | |
| 32 | Ken Boyer | 1,567 | 24 | 1,543 | |
| 33 | Ossie Bluege | 1,551 | 1,551 | 0 | |
| 34 | Wade Boggs* | 1,550 | 1,550 | 0 | |
| 35 | Aurelio Rodríguez | 1,529 | 1,491 | 38 | |
| 36 | Ron Cey | 1,500 | 1 | 1,499 | |
| 37 | Scott Rolen* | 1,478 | 136 | 1,342 | |
| 38 | Robin Ventura | 1,471 | 1,148 | 323 | |
| 39 | Clete Boyer | 1,470 | 966 | 504 | |
| 40 | Bobby Byrne | 1,456 | 0 | 1,456 | |
| | Heinie Groh | 1,456 | 0 | 1,456 | |
| 42 | Pinky Whitney | 1,455 | 0 | 1,455 | |
| 43 | Hick Carpenter | 1,450 | 0 | 314 | Includes 1,136 in American Association; held major league record, 1888–1889; held National League single-season record, 1880-1881 |
| 44 | Bob Elliott | 1,448 | 105 | 1,343 | |
| 45 | Art Devlin | 1,399 | 0 | 1,399 | |
| 46 | Milt Stock | 1,392 | 0 | 1,392 | |
| 47 | Terry Pendleton | 1,386 | 12 | 1,374 | |
| 48 | Carney Lansford | 1,382 | 1,382 | 0 | |
| 49 | George Brett* | 1,372 | 1,372 | 0 | |
| 50 | Mike Mowrey | 1,363 | 0 | 1,189 | Includes 174 in Federal League |
| 51 | Jimmy Dykes | 1,361 | 1,361 | 0 | |
| 52 | George Pinkney | 1,343 | 0 | 535 | Includes 808 in American Association; held single-season record, 1886-1887 |
| 53 | Tommy Leach | 1,323 | 0 | 1,323 | |
| 54 | Doc Casey | 1,312 | 307 | 1,005 | |
| 55 | Frank Malzone | 1,308 | 1,308 | 0 | |
| 56 | Evan Longoria | 1,305 | 1,012 | 293 | |
| 57 | Matt Williams | 1,293 | 89 | 1,204 | |
| 58 | Hans Lobert | 1,292 | 0 | 1,292 | |
| 59 | Eddie Foster | 1,289 | 1,289 | 0 | |
| 60 | Darrell Evans | 1,273 | 17 | 1,256 | |
| 61 | Bill Coughlin | 1,269 | 1,262 | 7 | Held American League record, 1901–1902; held AL single-season record, 1901-1913 |
| 62 | Billy Werber | 1,264 | 761 | 503 | |
| 63 | Ken McMullen | 1,259 | 1,194 | 65 | |
| 64 | Doug DeCinces | 1,256 | 1,253 | 3 | |
| 65 | Ezra Sutton | 1,252 | 0 | 896 | Includes 356 in National Association; held major league record, 1882-1888 |
| 66 | Ken Caminiti | 1,251 | 42 | 1,209 | |
| 67 | Joe Mulvey | 1,235 | 0 | 919 | Includes 172 in American Association, 144 in Players' League |
| 68 | Charlie Irwin | 1,228 | 0 | 1,228 | |
| 69 | Red Rolfe | 1,220 | 1,220 | 0 | |
| 70 | Don Hoak | 1,219 | 0 | 1,219 | |
| 71 | Red Smith | 1,210 | 0 | 1,210 | |
| 72 | Aramis Ramírez | 1,197 | 0 | 1,197 | |
| 73 | Chipper Jones* | 1,159 | 0 | 1,159 | |
| 74 | Vinny Castilla | 1,156 | 76 | 1,080 | |
| 75 | Mike Lowell | 1,140 | 414 | 726 | |
| 76 | Doug Rader | 1,138 | 38 | 1,100 | |
| 77 | Nolan Arenado (0) | 1,099 | 0 | 1,099 | |
| | Joe Dugan | 1,099 | 1,086 | 13 | |
| 79 | David Wright | 1,087 | 0 | 1,087 | |
| 80 | Jim Tabor | 1,077 | 853 | 224 | |
| 81 | Heinie Zimmerman | 1,054 | 0 | 1,054 | |
| 82 | Harry Lord | 1,046 | 961 | 0 | Includes 85 in Federal League |
| 83 | Bill Joyce | 1,044 | 0 | 786 | Includes 176 in Players' League, 82 in American Association |
| 84 | Tom Burns | 1,043 | 0 | 1,043 | Held National League single-season record, 1889-1898 |
| 85 | Manny Machado (0) | 1,037 | 553 | 484 | |
| 86 | Eric Chavez | 1,035 | 1,000 | 35 | |
| 87 | Marv Owen | 1,032 | 1,032 | 0 | |
| 88 | Frank Hankinson | 1,029 | 0 | 575 | Includes 454 in American Association; held National League single-season record, 1881-1883 |
| 89 | Ossie Vitt | 1,026 | 1,026 | 0 | |
| | Art Whitney | 1,026 | 0 | 612 | Includes 285 in American Association, 129 in Players' League |
| 91 | Bob Aspromonte | 1,025 | 0 | 1,025 | |
| | Whitey Kurowski | 1,025 | 0 | 1,025 | |
| 93 | Joe Randa | 1,005 | 782 | 223 | |
| 94 | Ken Reitz | 996 | 0 | 996 | |
| 95 | Harry Wolverton | 989 | 99 | 890 | |
| 96 | Grady Hatton | 979 | 191 | 788 | |
| 97 | Todd Zeile | 974 | 183 | 791 | |
| 98 | Al Rosen | 970 | 970 | 0 | |
| 99 | Charlie Deal | 967 | 89 | 802 | Includes 76 in Federal League |
| 100 | Max Alvis | 962 | 962 | 0 | |
| | Eddie Grant | 962 | 0 | 962 | |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | Assists as third baseman | Assists as third baseman | Assists as third baseman | Other leagues, notes |
| Player | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| Deacon White * | 954 | 0 | 868 | Includes 86 in Players' League |
| John McGraw* | 868 | 106 | 762 | |
| Freddie Lindstrom* | 835 | 0 | 835 | |
| George Davis* | 735 | 0 | 735 | |
| Bill McKechnie* | 700 | 1 | 320 | Includes 379 in Federal League |
| Tony Pérez* | 644 | 0 | 644 | |
| Joe Sewell* | 644 | 644 | 0 | |
| Paul Molitor* | 642 | 642 | 0 | |
| Bobby Wallace* | 613 | 134 | 479 | |
| Judy Johnson* | 607 | 0 | 0 | Includes 260 in Eastern Colored League, 239 in Negro National League (second), 74 in American Negro League, 34 in East–West League (incomplete) |
| Harmon Killebrew* | 607 | 607 | 0 | |
| Dick Allen* | 530 | 1 | 529 | |
| Cal Ripken Jr.* | 461 | 461 | 0 | |
| Frankie Frisch* | 453 | 0 | 453 | |
| Joe Torre* | 426 | 0 | 426 | |
| Cap Anson* | 417 | 0 | 223 | Includes 194 in National Association; held National League record, 1876–1877; held NL single-season record, 1876-1880 |
| Edgar Martínez* | 354 | 354 | 0 | |
| Honus Wagner* | 288 | 0 | 288 | |
| Jim Thome* | 285 | 285 | 0 | |
| Jud Wilson* | 260 | 0 | 0 | Includes 119 in Eastern Colored League, 114 in Negro National League (second), 17 in East–West League, 10 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
| Jackie Robinson* | 215 | 0 | 215 | |
| Buck Ewing* | 200 | 0 | 200 | |
| Jim O'Rourke* | 194 | 0 | 162 | Includes 32 in National Association |
| Rogers Hornsby* | 181 | 2 | 179 | |
| Ray Dandridge* | 162 | 0 | 0 | Includes 162 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
| Roger Connor* | 151 | 0 | 151 | |
| Jimmie Foxx* | 132 | 120 | 12 | |
| King Kelly* | 108 | 0 | 95 | Includes 11 in American Association, 2 in Players' League |
| Johnny Bench* | 107 | 0 | 107 | |
| Ryne Sandberg* | 79 | 0 | 79 | |
| Joe Cronin* | 64 | 64 | 0 | |
| Willie Wells* | 52 | 0 | 0 | Includes 50 in Negro National League (second), 2 in Negro American League (incomplete) |