# List of Major League Baseball career games played as a catcher 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, prior to 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. The catcher is a 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.
Because catching is generally regarded as the most grueling position in baseball, catchers have historically played fewer games than any other non-pitching position; it is still unusual for a player to catch all of their team's games for even a month. Only eight players in history have caught in all of their team's games over the course of a season; five of those achieved the feat in the 19th century, when the seasons were generally much shorter, and the other three did so during World War II, when player availability was sharply limited. Prior to 1944, only seven players caught 145 games in a season, none more than once. When Bob Boone became the first player to catch 2,000 major league games in 1988, it was over a quarter century after every other non-pitching position had seen a player reach that milestone. But in recent decades, the workload of top major league catchers has gradually increased, and the top ten career leaders all made their major league debuts after 1968.
Iván Rodríguez is the all-time leader in games played as a catcher, playing 2,427 games at the position. Carlton Fisk (2,226), Bob Boone (2,225), Yadier Molina (2,184), Gary Carter (2,056) and Jason Kendall (2,025) are the only other players to play 2,000 or more games as a catcher. Molina, of the St. Louis Cardinals, is the only player to catch 2,000 games with one team.

## Key

| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career games caught. 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 catcher 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 catcher | Games as catcher | Games as catcher | Other leagues, notes |
| Rank | Player (2025 Gs) | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| 1 | Iván Rodríguez* | 2,427 | 2,060 | 367 | |
| 2 | Carlton Fisk* | 2,226 | 2,226 | 0 | Held major league record, 1993-2009 |
| 3 | Bob Boone | 2,225 | 1,130 | 1,095 | Held major league record, 1987-1993 |
| 4 | Yadier Molina | 2,184 | 0 | 2,184 | |
| 5 | Gary Carter* | 2,056 | 0 | 2,056 | Held National League record, 1990-2021 |
| 6 | Jason Kendall | 2,025 | 486 | 1,539 | |
| 7 | Tony Peña | 1,950 | 767 | 1,183 | |
| 8 | Brad Ausmus | 1,938 | 350 | 1,588 | |
| 9 | A. J. Pierzynski | 1,936 | 1,624 | 312 | |
| 10 | Jim Sundberg | 1,927 | 1,850 | 77 | Holds AL single-season record of 155 (tied record in 1975) |
| 11 | Al López* | 1,918 | 57 | 1,861 | Held major league record, 1945-1987; held NL record, 1945-1990 |
| 12 | Benito Santiago | 1,917 | 159 | 1,758 | |
| 13 | Lance Parrish | 1,818 | 1,536 | 282 | |
| 14 | Rick Ferrell* | 1,806 | 1,806 | 0 | Held American League record, 1945-1988 |
| 15 | Gabby Hartnett* | 1,793 | 0 | 1,793 | Held major league record, 1939-1945; held NL record, 1934-1945 |
| 16 | Ted Simmons* | 1,771 | 297 | 1,474 | |
| 17 | Johnny Bench* | 1,742 | 0 | 1,742 | |
| 18 | Ray Schalk* | 1,727 | 1,722 | 5 | Held major league record, 1925-1939; held AL record, 1920-1945; held single-season record, 1920-1944 |
| 19 | Bill Dickey* | 1,708 | 1,708 | 0 | |
| 20 | Yogi Berra* | 1,699 | 1,697 | 2 | |
| 21 | Rick Dempsey | 1,633 | 1,444 | 189 | |
| 22 | Mike Piazza* | 1,630 | 0 | 1,630 | |
| 23 | Jim Hegan | 1,629 | 1,536 | 93 | |
| 24 | Brian McCann | 1,612 | 483 | 1,129 | |
| | Deacon McGuire | 1,612 | 359 | 1,026 | Includes 227 in American Association; held major league record, 1900-1925; held the single-season record, 1895-1908 |
| 26 | Bill Freehan | 1,581 | 1,581 | 0 | |
| 27 | Russell Martin | 1,579 | 651 | 928 | |
| 28 | Jorge Posada | 1,574 | 1,574 | 0 | |
| 29 | Sherm Lollar | 1,571 | 1,571 | 0 | |
| 30 | Luke Sewell | 1,562 | 1,562 | 0 | |
| 31 | Ernie Lombardi* | 1,544 | 0 | 1,544 | |
| 32 | Kurt Suzuki | 1,540 | 1,145 | 395 | |
| 33 | Steve O'Neill | 1,532 | 1,532 | 0 | |
| 34 | Darrell Porter | 1,506 | 1,006 | 500 | |
| 35 | Jason Varitek | 1,488 | 1,488 | 0 | |
| 36 | Rollie Hemsley | 1,482 | 1,024 | 458 | |
| 37 | Del Crandall | 1,479 | 49 | 1,430 | |
| 38 | John Roseboro | 1,476 | 258 | 1,218 | |
| 39 | Mickey Cochrane* | 1,451 | 1,451 | 0 | |
| 40 | Ramón Hernández | 1,447 | 957 | 490 | |
| 41 | Wally Schang | 1,435 | 1,435 | 0 | |
| 42 | Muddy Ruel | 1,410 | 1,410 | 0 | |
| 43 | Mike Scioscia | 1,395 | 0 | 1,395 | |
| 44 | Johnny Edwards | 1,392 | 0 | 1,392 | |
| 45 | Tim McCarver | 1,387 | 15 | 1,372 | |
| 46 | Terry Steinbach | 1,381 | 1,381 | 0 | |
| 47 | Terry Kennedy | 1,378 | 221 | 1,157 | |
| 48 | Gus Mancuso | 1,360 | 0 | 1,360 | |
| 49 | Javy López | 1,351 | 245 | 1,106 | |
| | Jimmie Wilson | 1,351 | 0 | 1,351 | |
| 51 | Roy Campanella* | 1,349 | 0 | 1,183 | Includes 166 in Negro National League (incomplete) |
| 52 | Jerry Grote | 1,348 | 22 | 1,326 | |
| 53 | Bob O'Farrell | 1,338 | 0 | 1,338 | Held National League record, 1933-1934 |
| 54 | Sandy Alomar Jr. | 1,324 | 1,256 | 68 | |
| 55 | Wilbert Robinson* | 1,316 | 154 | 715 | Includes 447 in American Association; held major league record, 1899-1900 |
| 56 | Frankie Hayes | 1,311 | 1,311 | 0 | Held single-season record, 1944-1968; holds AL single-season record of 155 (set in 1944) |
| 57 | Alan Ashby | 1,299 | 398 | 901 | |
| 58 | Salvador Pérez (0) | 1,291 | 1,291 | 0 | |
| 59 | Mike Matheny | 1,285 | 389 | 896 | |
| | Bengie Molina | 1,285 | 839 | 446 | |
| 61 | Spud Davis | 1,282 | 0 | 1,282 | |
| 62 | Dan Wilson | 1,281 | 1,237 | 44 | |
| 63 | Rick Cerone | 1,279 | 1,079 | 200 | |
| 64 | Thurman Munson | 1,278 | 1,278 | 0 | |
| 65 | Del Rice | 1,249 | 31 | 1,218 | |
| 65 | Joe Girardi | 1,247 | 374 | 873 | |
| | Frank Snyder | 1,247 | 0 | 1,247 | Held National League record, 1927-1933 |
| | Butch Wynegar | 1,247 | 1,247 | 0 | |
| 69 | Ernie Whitt | 1,246 | 1,187 | 59 | |
| 70 | Chief Zimmer | 1,239 | 0 | 1,162 | Includes 77 in American Association; held the single-season record, 1890-1895 |
| 71 | Don Slaught | 1,237 | 793 | 444 | |
| 72 | Ivey Wingo | 1,233 | 0 | 1,233 | |
| 73 | Steve Yeager | 1,230 | 49 | 1,181 | |
| 74 | Hank Severeid | 1,225 | 1,181 | 44 | |
| 75 | Walker Cooper | 1,223 | 0 | 1,223 | |
| 76 | Andy Seminick | 1,213 | 0 | 1,213 | |
| 77 | Tom Haller | 1,199 | 36 | 1,163 | |
| 78 | Malachi Kittridge | 1,197 | 242 | 955 | |
| 79 | Red Dooin | 1,195 | 0 | 1,195 | Held National League record, 1915-1927 |
| 80 | George Gibson | 1,194 | 0 | 1,194 | Held single-season record, 1908-1920; held NL single-season record, 1908-1944 |
| 81 | Mickey Owen | 1,175 | 30 | 1,145 | |
| 82 | Mike Lieberthal | 1,170 | 0 | 1,170 | |
| 83 | Johnny Kling | 1,169 | 0 | 1,169 | Held National League record, 1913-1915 |
| 84 | Charles Johnson | 1,160 | 280 | 880 | |
| 85 | J.T. Realmuto (0) | 1,146 | 0 | 1,146 | |
| 86 | Darrin Fletcher | 1,143 | 516 | 627 | |
| | Brent Mayne | 1,143 | 703 | 440 | |
| 88 | Smoky Burgess | 1,139 | 7 | 1,132 | |
| 89 | Elston Howard | 1,138 | 1,138 | 0 | |
| 90 | Chris Iannetta | 1,122 | 473 | 649 | |
| | Billy Sullivan | 1,122 | 1,034 | 88 | Held AL single-season record, 1906–1911 |
| 92 | Yasmani Grandal (0) | 1,114 | 275 | 839 | |
| | Manny Sanguillén | 1,114 | 77 | 1,037 | |
| 94 | Cy Perkins | 1,111 | 1,111 | 0 | |
| 95 | Martín Maldonado (0) | 1,108 | 800 | 308 | |
| | Birdie Tebbetts | 1,108 | 1,108 | 0 | |
| 97 | Phil Masi | 1,101 | 217 | 884 | |
| 98 | Jonathan Lucroy | 1,098 | 303 | 795 | |
| 99 | Todd Hundley | 1,096 | 0 | 1,096 | |
| 100 | Buster Posey | 1,093 | 0 | 1,093 | |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | Games as catcher | Games as catcher | Games as catcher | Other leagues, notes |
| Player | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| Roger Bresnahan* | 974 | 91 | 883 | |
| Joe Mauer* | 921 | 921 | 0 | |
| Joe Torre* | 903 | 0 | 903 | |
| Buck Ewing* | 636 | 0 | 555 | Includes 81 in Players' League; held NL single-season record, 1889-1890 |
| Biz Mackey* | 617 | 0 | 0 | Includes 242 in Negro National League (second), 209 in Eastern Colored League, 116 in Negro National League (first), 50 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
| Connie Mack* | 610 | 0 | 498 | Includes 112 in Players' League |
| King Kelly* | 584 | 0 | 457 | Includes 70 in American Association, 57 in Players' League |
| Josh Gibson* | 513 | 0 | 0 | Includes 512 in Negro National League (second), 1 in Negro National League (first) (incomplete) |
| Deacon White* | 458 | 0 | 226 | Includes 232 in National Association; held major league record, 1874-1881; held single-season record, 1873-1879 |
| Craig Biggio* | 428 | 0 | 428 | |
| Jim O'Rourke* | 231 | 0 | 209 | Includes 22 in National Association |
| Jimmie Foxx* | 108 | 106 | 2 | |
| Louis Santop* | 91 | 0 | 0 | Includes 91 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete) |