# List of Major League Baseball career fielding errors as a first baseman leaders

In baseball statistics, an error is an act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to advance one or more bases or allows an at bat to continue after the batter should have been put out. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner to score a run for that player's team. A first baseman is the player on the team playing defense who fields the area nearest first base, and is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3.
The list of career leaders is dominated by players from the 19th century when fielding equipment was very rudimentary; baseball gloves only began to gain acceptance in the 1880s steadily, and were not uniformly worn until the mid-1890s, resulting in a much lower frequency of defensive miscues. Additional modifications were made to first basemen's gloves in the 1930s which further reduced errors. All but one of the top 14 players in career errors began playing in the 19th century, and most played their entire careers before 1900; none were active after 1919. None of the top 20 were active after 1930, and only 10 of the top 64 were active after 1950. The top 48 single-season totals were all recorded before 1900, and the top 179 were recorded before 1920. To a large extent, the leaders reflect longevity rather than lower skill. George Sisler, whose 269 errors are the most by any first baseman whose career began after 1910, is often regarded as the greatest defensive first baseman in history; George Scott, whose 165 errors are the most by an American League first baseman since the Gold Glove Awards for fielding excellence were introduced in 1957, won the award eight times – including 1967, when he led the AL with 19 errors.
Cap Anson, whose career began in 1871 and who played nearly 400 more games at first base than any other player in the 19th century, is the all-time leader in career errors as a first baseman with 658, nearly three times as many as any first baseman whose career began after 1920; he also holds the National League record of 583. Dan Brouthers, who played only one game at first base after 1896, is second all-time with 513 and is the only other first baseman to commit more than 500 errors. José Abreu, who had 80 errors through the 2024 season to place him tied for 162nd all-time, is the leader among active players.

## Key

| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career fielding errors. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player (2022 Es) | Number of errors committed during the 2022 Major League Baseball season |
| E as 1B | Total career errors committed as a first baseman |
| * | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame |
| Bold | Denotes active player |

## List

* Stats updated through the 2024 season.
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as 1B |
| 1 | Cap Anson* | 658 |
| 2 | Dan Brouthers* | 513 |
| 3 | Jake Beckley* | 481 |
| 4 | Joe Start | 433 |
| 5 | Roger Connor* | 419 |
| 6 | Charlie Comiskey* | 403 |
| 7 | Hal Chase | 402 |
| 8 | Tommy Tucker | 393 |
| 9 | Harry Davis | 343 |
| 10 | Fred Tenney | 327 |
| 11 | Bill Phillips | 324 |
| 12 | John Reilly | 316 |
| 13 | John Morrill | 285 |
| 14 | Jack Doyle | 277 |
| 15 | George Sisler* | 269 |
| 16 | Sid Farrar | 262 |
| 17 | Fred Merkle | 252 |
| 18 | George Burns | 245 |
| 19 | Harry Stovey | 241 |
| 20 | Kitty Bransfield | 236 |
| 21 | Willie McCovey* | 233 |
| 22 | Herman Dehlman | 230 |
| 23 | Dave Orr | 227 |
| 24 | Ed Konetchy | 224 |
| 25 | Jim Bottomley* | 223 |
| 26 | Mickey Vernon | 211 |
| 27 | Henry Larkin | 209 |
| 28 | Jack Fournier | 208 |
| 29 | Candy LaChance | 207 |
| | Everett Mills | 207 |
| 31 | Dan Stearns | 206 |
| 32 | Fred Luderus | 201 |
| 33 | Tim Murnane | 195 |
| 34 | George Stovall | 194 |
| 35 | Lou Gehrig* | 193 |
| 36 | Lu Blue | 191 |
| 37 | Tom Jones | 183 |
| 38 | Jake Daubert | 181 |
| 39 | Dick Hoblitzell | 180 |
| 40 | Andrés Galarraga | 176 |
| 41 | Joe Kuhel | 173 |
| 42 | Charlie Gould | 169 |
| | Dan McGann | 169 |
| | Dick Stuart | 169 |
| 45 | Wally Pipp | 168 |
| 46 | Fred McGriff* | 167 |
| | Eddie Murray* | 167 |
| 48 | George Scott | 165 |
| 49 | Orlando Cepeda* | 162 |
| | Charlie Grimm | 162 |
| Rank | Player (2025 Es) | E as 1B |
| 51 | Jim Field | 161 |
| 52 | Stuffy McInnis | 160 |
| 53 | Martin Powell | 159 |
| | Perry Werden | 159 |
| 55 | Jimmie Foxx* | 155 |
| 56 | Jake Stahl | 150 |
| 57 | Dave Foutz | 150 |
| 58 | Donn Clendenon | 146 |
| | Juice Latham | 146 |
| 60 | Earl Torgeson | 143 |
| 61 | Charlie Hickman | 142 |
| | Joe Judge | 142 |
| 63 | Dolph Camilli | 141 |
| | Guy Hecker | 141 |
| 65 | Mo Vaughn | 139 |
| 66 | Ferris Fain | 138 |
| | Bill Terry* | 138 |
| 68 | Will Clark | 136 |
| | Alex McKinnon | 136 |
| | Jim O'Rourke* | 136 |
| 71 | Frank Chance* | 135 |
| 72 | Johnny Mize* | 133 |
| 73 | John Kerins | 132 |
| 74 | Norm Cash | 131 |
| 75 | Chris Chambliss | 130 |
| 76 | Jeff Bagwell* | 129 |
| | Carlos Delgado | 129 |
| | Vic Saier | 129 |
| 79 | Bill Buckner | 128 |
| | Denny Mack | 128 |
| 81 | Gil Hodges* | 126 |
| 82 | Phil Cavarretta | 123 |
| 83 | Rudy York | 122 |
| 84 | Cecil Cooper | 121 |
| | George Kelly* | 121 |
| | Hal Trosky | 121 |
| 87 | Mox McQuery | 120 |
| 88 | Ryan Howard | 119 |
| 89 | John Anderson | 117 |
| | Tony Pérez* | 117 |
| 91 | Boog Powell | 116 |
| | Albert Pujols | 116 |
| | Gus Suhr | 116 |
| 94 | Ed Cartwright | 115 |
| | Mike Hargrove | 115 |
| | Keith Hernandez | 115 |
| 97 | John Glenn | 113 |
| | Doc Johnston | 113 |
| | George McQuinn | 113 |
| | Earl Sheely | 113 |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | E |
| Rod Carew* | 106 |
| Hank Greenberg* | 104 |
| Ernie Banks* | 80 |
| Ben Taylor* | 80 (includes incomplete Negro league totals) |
| Frank Thomas* | 80 |
| Todd Helton* | 79 |
| Stan Musial* | 78 |
| Harry Heilmann* | 77 |
| Ed Delahanty* | 75 |
| Mule Suttles* | 74 (includes incomplete Negro league totals) |
| Harmon Killebrew* | 69 |
| Willie Stargell* | 67 |
| Buck Ewing* | 66 |
| Jim Thome* | 64 |
| Hughie Jennings* | 62 |
| Deacon White* | 60 |
| Buck Leonard* | 57 (includes incomplete Negro league totals) |
| Joe Kelley* | 51 |
| Joe Torre* | 49 |
| Honus Wagner* | 47 |
| Oscar Charleston* | 46 (includes incomplete Negro league totals) |
| Carl Yastrzemski* | 41 |
| Nap Lajoie* | 37 |
| Frank Robinson* | 35 |
| Jud Wilson* | 33 (includes incomplete Negro league totals) |
| George Brett* | 30 |
| Ted Simmons* | 28 |
| Buck O'Neil* | 26 (includes incomplete Negro league totals) |
| Mickey Mantle* | 23 |
| David Ortiz* | 22 |
| Joe Mauer* | 19 |
| Jackie Robinson* | 19 |
| Paul Molitor* | 18 |
| Martín Dihigo* | 5 (includes incomplete Negro league totals) |