# List of Major League Baseball career games played as a third baseman 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, before a game, are included on a starting lineup card or are announced as ex ante substitutes, whether or not they play; however, 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 if he is not credited with a game started or an inning pitched. Third base 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, abbreviated 3B, 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. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5.
Because third basemen routinely have to make the longest throws across the infield, and because of increasing expectations of their offensive contributions, they tend to be physically larger than middle infielders; however, they are generally expected to be quicker than first basemen, and the physical demands of playing third base have historically hindered players from having long careers at the position. When Eddie Yost became the first player to play 2,000 major league games at third base in 1962, it was nearly forty years after most other non-pitching positions had seen a player reach that milestone; the only position that took longer was catcher. Only 13 players have played 2,000 major league games at third base, tied for the fewest among infield positions; only three of the top 25 career leaders were in the major leagues before 1944, none of them before 1920. Brooks Robinson is the all-time leader in career games as a third baseman, playing 2,870 games at the position; it is the most games played at a single position by any player in major league history, and exceeded the previous record at the position by nearly 700 games. Adrián Beltré (2,759), Graig Nettles (2,412), Gary Gaetti (2,282), Wade Boggs (2,215), Mike Schmidt (2,212), Buddy Bell (2,183), Eddie Mathews (2,181), Ron Santo (2,130), Aramis Ramírez (2,112), Tim Wallach (2,054), Scott Rolen (2,023), and Eddie Yost (2,008) are the only other players to appear in over 2,000 career games at third base.

## Key

| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career games played. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player (2025 Gs) | Number of games played during the 2025 Major League Baseball season |
| MLB | Total career games played 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 Gs) | Games as third baseman | Games as third baseman | Games as third baseman | Other leagues, notes |
| Rank | Player (2025 Gs) | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| 1 | Brooks Robinson* | 2,870 | 2,870 | 0 | |
| 2 | Adrián Beltré* | 2,759 | 1,802 | 957 | |
| 3 | Graig Nettles | 2,412 | 1,997 | 415 | |
| 4 | Gary Gaetti | 2,282 | 1,817 | 465 | |
| 5 | Wade Boggs* | 2,215 | 2,215 | 0 | |
| 6 | Mike Schmidt* | 2,212 | 0 | 2,212 | |
| 7 | Buddy Bell | 2,183 | 1,744 | 439 | |
| 8 | Eddie Mathews* | 2,181 | 27 | 2,154 | Held major league record, 1966-1971; held National League record, 1965-1988 |
| 9 | Ron Santo* | 2,130 | 28 | 2,102 | |
| 10 | Aramis Ramírez | 2,112 | 0 | 2,112 | |
| 11 | Tim Wallach | 2,054 | 46 | 2,008 | |
| 12 | Scott Rolen* | 2,023 | 203 | 1,820 | |
| 13 | Eddie Yost | 2,008 | 2,008 | 0 | Held major league record, 1960-1966; held American League record, 1959-1970 |
| 14 | Chipper Jones* | 1,992 | 0 | 1,992 | |
| 15 | Ron Cey | 1,989 | 3 | 1,986 | |
| 16 | Aurelio Rodríguez | 1,983 | 1,895 | 88 | |
| 17 | Sal Bando | 1,896 | 1,896 | 0 | |
| 18 | Robin Ventura | 1,887 | 1,437 | 450 | |
| 19 | Pie Traynor* | 1,863 | 0 | 1,863 | Held major league record, 1934-1960; held National League record, 1931-1965 |
| 20 | Stan Hack | 1,836 | 0 | 1,836 | |
| 21 | Evan Longoria | 1,826 | 1,345 | 481 | |
| 22 | Ken Boyer | 1,785 | 38 | 1,747 | |
| | Terry Pendleton | 1,785 | 23 | 1,762 | |
| 24 | Pinky Higgins | 1,768 | 1,768 | 0 | Held American League record, 1944-1959 |
| 25 | Matt Williams | 1,743 | 151 | 1,592 | |
| 26 | Lave Cross | 1,724 | 846 | 854 | Includes 24 in American Association; held major league record, 1906-1934; held AL record, 1906-1907 |
| 27 | Carney Lansford | 1,720 | 1,720 | 0 | |
| 28 | George Brett* | 1,692 | 1,692 | 0 | |
| | George Kell* | 1,692 | 1,692 | 0 | |
| 30 | Jimmy Collins* | 1,683 | 948 | 735 | Held American League record, 1901-1902 |
| 31 | Ken Caminiti | 1,676 | 53 | 1,623 | |
| 32 | Willie Kamm | 1,674 | 1,674 | 0 | Held American League record, 1934-1944 |
| 33 | Vinny Castilla | 1,656 | 107 | 1,549 | |
| | Larry Gardner | 1,656 | 1,656 | 0 | Held American League record, 1921-1934 |
| 35 | Nolan Arenado (0) | 1,629 | 0 | 1,629 | |
| 36 | Willie Jones | 1,614 | 4 | 1,610 | |
| 37 | Arlie Latham | 1,573 | 0 | 690 | Includes 831 in American Association, 52 in Players' League; held major league record, 1891-1906 |
| 38 | David Wright | 1,572 | 0 | 1,572 | |
| 39 | Harlond Clift | 1,550 | 1,550 | 0 | |
| 40 | Home Run Baker* | 1,548 | 1,548 | 0 | Held American League record, 1918-1920 |
| 41 | Doug DeCinces | 1,543 | 1,540 | 3 | |
| 42 | Ken Keltner | 1,500 | 1,500 | 0 | |
| 43 | Todd Zeile | 1,498 | 266 | 1,232 | |
| 44 | Ossie Bluege | 1,487 | 1,487 | 0 | |
| 45 | Mike Lowell | 1,474 | 535 | 939 | |
| 46 | Billy Nash | 1,468 | 0 | 1,291 | Includes 132 in Players' League, 45 in American Association; held National League record, 1895-1910 |
| 47 | Darrell Evans | 1,442 | 35 | 1,407 | |
| 48 | Bill Madlock | 1,440 | 22 | 1,418 | |
| 49 | Clete Boyer | 1,439 | 928 | 511 | |
| 50 | Jimmy Austin | 1,431 | 1,431 | 0 | Held American League record, 1917-1918, 1920-1921 |
| 51 | Kyle Seager | 1,427 | 1,427 | 0 | |
| 52 | Jeff Cirillo | 1,403 | 690 | 713 | |
| 53 | Eric Chavez | 1,402 | 1,339 | 63 | |
| 54 | Bill Bradley | 1,390 | 1,193 | 136 | Includes 61 in Federal League; held American League record, 1902-1906, 1907-1917 |
| 55 | Manny Machado (0) | 1,389 | 715 | 674 | |
| 56 | Harry Steinfeldt | 1,387 | 0 | 1,387 | Held National League record, 1910-1931 |
| 57 | Frank Malzone | 1,370 | 1,370 | 0 | |
| 58 | Bob Elliott | 1,365 | 103 | 1,262 | |
| 59 | Joe Randa | 1,362 | 1,058 | 304 | |
| 60 | Travis Fryman | 1,359 | 1,359 | 0 | |
| 61 | Pinky Whitney | 1,358 | 0 | 1,358 | |
| 62 | Doug Rader | 1,349 | 45 | 1,304 | |
| | Milt Stock | 1,349 | 0 | 1,349 | |
| 64 | Troy Glaus | 1,337 | 1,037 | 300 | |
| 65 | Charlie Hayes | 1,328 | 256 | 1,072 | |
| 66 | Ken Reitz | 1,321 | 0 | 1,321 | |
| 67 | Ken McMullen | 1,318 | 1,201 | 117 | |
| 68 | Heinie Groh | 1,299 | 0 | 1,299 | |
| 69 | Billy Shindle | 1,274 | 0 | 999 | Includes 273 in American Association, 2 in Players' League |
| 70 | Steve Buechele | 1,269 | 835 | 434 | |
| 71 | Richie Hebner | 1,262 | 32 | 1,230 | |
| 72 | Jimmy Dykes | 1,257 | 1,257 | 0 | |
| 73 | Josh Donaldson | 1,213 | 1,050 | 163 | |
| | Eugenio Suárez (0) | 1,213 | 293 | 920 | |
| 75 | Don Hoak | 1,199 | 0 | 1,199 | |
| 76 | Mike Mowrey | 1,196 | 0 | 1,045 | Includes 151 in Federal League |
| 77 | Bob Bailey | 1,194 | 1 | 1,193 | |
| | Alex Rodriguez | 1,194 | 1,194 | 0 | |
| 79 | Art Devlin | 1,192 | 0 | 1,192 | |
| 80 | Mike Pagliarulo | 1,179 | 1,014 | 165 | |
| 81 | Brook Jacoby | 1,166 | 1,161 | 5 | |
| 82 | Mike Moustakas | 1,165 | 924 | 241 | |
| 83 | Dean Palmer | 1,162 | 1,162 | 0 | |
| 84 | Eddie Foster | 1,161 | 1,161 | 0 | |
| 85 | Bobby Byrne | 1,147 | 0 | 1,147 | |
| 86 | Billy Werber | 1,143 | 653 | 490 | |
| 87 | Ryan Zimmerman | 1,133 | 0 | 1,133 | |
| 88 | Jim Davenport | 1,130 | 0 | 1,130 | |
| 89 | Bill Mueller | 1,128 | 373 | 755 | |
| 90 | Chase Headley | 1,123 | 432 | 691 | |
| 91 | Jerry Denny | 1,109 | 0 | 1,109 | Held National League record, 1887-1895 |
| 92 | Doc Casey | 1,100 | 259 | 841 | |
| 93 | Toby Harrah | 1,099 | 1,099 | 0 | |
| 94 | Bob Aspromonte | 1,094 | 0 | 1,094 | |
| 95 | Denny Lyons | 1,085 | 0 | 467 | Includes 618 in American Association |
| 96 | Red Rolfe | 1,084 | 1,084 | 0 | |
| 97 | Brandon Inge | 1,083 | 1,073 | 10 | |
| 98 | Todd Frazier | 1,069 | 297 | 772 | |
| 99 | Tom Brookens | 1,065 | 1,065 | 0 | |
| 100 | George Pinkney | 1,061 | 0 | 452 | Includes 609 in American Association |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | Games as third baseman | Games as third baseman | Games as third baseman | Other leagues, notes |
| Player | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| Deacon White* | 827 | 0 | 762 | Includes 64 in Players' League, 1 in National Association |
| Freddie Lindstrom* | 809 | 0 | 809 | |
| Harmon Killebrew* | 791 | 791 | 0 | |
| Paul Molitor* | 791 | 791 | 0 | |
| John McGraw* | 782 | 88 | 694 | |
| Tony Pérez* | 760 | 0 | 760 | |
| Judy Johnson* | 682 | 0 | 0 | Includes 355 in Eastern Colored League, 230 in Negro National League (second), 74 in American Negro League, 23 in East–West League (incomplete) |
| Cal Ripken Jr.* | 675 | 675 | 0 | |
| Dick Allen* | 652 | 2 | 650 | |
| Joe Sewell* | 643 | 643 | 0 | |
| Edgar Martínez* | 564 | 564 | 0 | |
| Bill McKechnie* | 553 | 2 | 285 | Includes 266 in Federal League |
| George Davis* | 529 | 0 | 529 | |
| Joe Torre* | 515 | 0 | 515 | |
| Jim Thome* | 493 | 493 | 0 | |
| Frankie Frisch* | 459 | 0 | 459 | |
| Bobby Wallace* | 426 | 96 | 330 | |
| Jud Wilson* | 358 | 0 | 0 | Includes 224 in Negro National League (second), 109 in Eastern Colored League, 18 in East–West League, 7 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
| Jackie Robinson* | 256 | 0 | 256 | |
| Cap Anson* | 220 | 0 | 118 | Includes 102 in National Association |
| Honus Wagner* | 210 | 0 | 210 | |
| Johnny Bench* | 195 | 0 | 195 | |
| Rogers Hornsby* | 192 | 2 | 190 | |
| Ray Dandridge* | 160 | 0 | 0 | Includes 160 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
| Jim O'Rourke* | 148 | 0 | 119 | Includes 29 in National Association |
| Jimmie Foxx* | 141 | 125 | 16 | |
| Ryne Sandberg* | 133 | 0 | 133 | |
| Buck Ewing* | 127 | 0 | 127 | |
| Roger Connor* | 111 | 0 | 111 | |
| King Kelly* | 96 | 0 | 86 | Includes 8 in American Association, 2 in Players' League |
| Joe Cronin* | 69 | 69 | 0 | |
| Willie Wells* | 49 | 0 | 0 | Includes 44 in Negro National League (second), 4 in Negro American League, 1 in Negro National League (first) (incomplete) |