# List of Major League Baseball career double plays as a first baseman leaders

In baseball statistics, a double play (denoted as DP) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. One double play is recorded for every defensive player who participates in the play, regardless of how many of the outs in which they were directly involved, and is counted in addition to whatever putouts and assists might also apply. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs.
Most of the career leaders are relatively recent players who have benefitted from improved infield defense, with equipment of better quality; 10 of the top 13 players made their major league debut after 1970. Longer careers have compensated for the fact that as strikeout totals have risen in baseball, the frequency of other defensive outs including ground outs has declined, with double play totals for first basemen likewise declining; 16 of the top 20 single-season totals were recorded between 1944 and 1980. Because a right-handed first baseman needs to turn their body before throwing across the infield, left-handed first basemen are often preferred for defensive purposes; 14 of the top 21 career double-play leaders are left-handed. Mickey Vernon holds the record for the most career double plays by a first baseman with 2,044. Eddie Murray (2,033) and Todd Helton (2,028) are the only other first basemen who have recorded 2,000 career double plays.

## Key

| Rank | Rank among leaders in career double plays. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player (2025 DPs) | Recorded double plays in 2025 |
| MLB | Total career double plays as a first 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 DPs) | Double plays as a first baseman | Double plays as a first baseman | Double plays as a first baseman | Other leagues, notes |
| Rank | Player (2025 DPs) | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| 1 | Mickey Vernon | 2,044 | 2,041 | 3 | |
| 2 | Eddie Murray* | 2,033 | 1,500 | 533 | Holds record for right-handed first baseman |
| 3 | Todd Helton* | 2,028 | 0 | 2,028 | |
| 4 | Rafael Palmeiro | 1,782 | 1,766 | 16 | |
| 5 | Fred McGriff* | 1,775 | 882 | 893 | |
| 6 | Joe Kuhel | 1,769 | 1,769 | 0 | Held major league record, 1946–1955; held American League record, 1944–1955; held the single-season record, 1935-1938 |
| 7 | Charlie Grimm | 1,733 | 0 | 1,733 | Held major league record, 1932–1946; held National League record, 1930–2010; held the single-season record, 1924-1926 |
| 8 | Albert Pujols | 1,702 | 439 | 1,263 | |
| 9 | Chris Chambliss | 1,687 | 1,073 | 614 | |
| 10 | Paul Konerko | 1,660 | 1,650 | 10 | |
| 11 | Keith Hernandez | 1,654 | 28 | 1,626 | |
| 12 | Andrés Galarraga | 1,648 | 28 | 1,620 | |
| 13 | Jeff Bagwell* | 1,618 | 0 | 1,618 | |
| 14 | Gil Hodges* | 1,614 | 0 | 1,614 | Held the National League single-season record, 1950-1966 |
| 15 | Wally Joyner | 1,611 | 1,227 | 384 | |
| 16 | John Olerud | 1,581 | 1,210 | 371 | |
| 17 | Lou Gehrig* | 1,575 | 1,575 | 0 | Held American League record, 1938–1944; held the single-season record, 1938-1944 |
| 18 | Will Clark | 1,571 | 612 | 959 | |
| 19 | Jim Bottomley* | 1,562 | 119 | 1,443 | Held the single-season record, 1927–1935; held the National League single-season record, 1927-1938 |
| 20 | Joe Judge | 1,543 | 1,519 | 24 | Held American League record, 1928–1938; held the single-season record, 1922-1923 (tie); held the AL single-season record, 1922-1925 (tie) |
| 21 | Mark Grace | 1,533 | 0 | 1,533 | |
| 22 | Jimmie Foxx* | 1,528 | 1,477 | 51 | |
| 23 | Paul Goldschmidt (0) | 1,506 | 0 | 1,506 | |
| 24 | Don Mattingly | 1,500 | 1,500 | 0 | |
| 25 | Steve Garvey | 1,498 | 0 | 1,498 | |
| 26 | Carlos Delgado | 1,496 | 1,045 | 451 | |
| 27 | George Sisler* | 1,495 | 1,161 | 334 | Held major league record, 1929–1932; held the single-season record, 1926–1927; held the American League single-season record, 1917-1918 (tie), 1926-1934 |
| 28 | George Scott | 1,480 | 1,480 | 0 | |
| 29 | Freddie Freeman (0) | 1,466 | 0 | 1,466 | |
| 30 | Derrek Lee | 1,442 | 67 | 1,375 | |
| 31 | Joey Votto | 1,432 | 0 | 1,432 | |
| 32 | Mark Teixeira | 1,418 | 1,287 | 131 | |
| 33 | Mark McGwire | 1,408 | 1,012 | 396 | |
| 34 | Willie McCovey* | 1,405 | 0 | 1,405 | |
| 35 | Tino Martinez | 1,398 | 1,187 | 211 | |
| 36 | Adrián González | 1,381 | 226 | 1,155 | |
| 37 | Cecil Cooper | 1,348 | 1,348 | 0 | |
| 38 | Norm Cash | 1,347 | 1,347 | 0 | |
| 39 | Tony Pérez* | 1,342 | 213 | 1,129 | |
| 40 | Stuffy McInnis | 1,338 | 1,001 | 337 | Held major league record, 1926–1929; held the single-season record, 1923-1924 (tie) |
| 41 | Bill Terry* | 1,334 | 0 | 1,334 | |
| 42 | Kent Hrbek | 1,331 | 1,331 | 0 | |
| 43 | Wally Pipp | 1,329 | 1,034 | 295 | Held the American League single-season record, 1917-1918 (tie), 1920–1921; held the National League single-season record, 1926-1927 |
| 44 | Jake Beckley* | 1,327 | 0 | 1,266 | Includes 61 in Players' League; held major league record, 1905-1926 |
| 45 | Johnny Mize* | 1,320 | 215 | 1,105 | |
| 46 | John Mayberry | 1,307 | 1,257 | 50 | |
| 47 | J. T. Snow | 1,298 | 415 | 883 | |
| 48 | Ted Kluszewski | 1,269 | 102 | 1,167 | |
| 49 | Bill Skowron | 1,266 | 1,222 | 44 | |
| 50 | George McQuinn | 1,265 | 1,235 | 30 | Held the single-season record, 1940-1944 (tie) |
| 51 | Eric Karros | 1,257 | 15 | 1,242 | |
| 52 | Adam LaRoche | 1,249 | 44 | 1,205 | |
| 53 | Lee May | 1,235 | 335 | 900 | |
| 54 | Cap Anson* | 1,232 | 0 | 1,191 | Includes 41 in National Association; held major league record, 1886–1905; held the single-season record, 1884–1889; held National League single-season record, 1884-1892 |
| 55 | Joe Adcock | 1,228 | 268 | 960 | |
| 56 | Frank McCormick | 1,221 | 0 | 1,221 | Held the National League single-season record, 1939-1950 |
| 57 | Anthony Rizzo (0) | 1,206 | 217 | 989 | |
| 58 | Jake Daubert | 1,201 | 0 | 1,201 | |
| 59 | Bill Buckner | 1,200 | 410 | 790 | |
| 60 | Lu Blue | 1,196 | 1,196 | 0 | |
| | Eric Hosmer | 1,196 | 807 | 389 | |
| 62 | Orlando Cepeda* | 1,192 | 0 | 1,192 | |
| 63 | Dolph Camilli | 1,189 | 62 | 1,127 | |
| 64 | Justin Morneau | 1,180 | 988 | 192 | |
| 65 | Bill White | 1,157 | 0 | 1,157 | |
| 66 | Hal Trosky | 1,146 | 1,146 | 0 | Held the American League single-season record, 1934-1935 |
| 67 | George Burns | 1,145 | 1,145 | 0 | Held the American League single-season record, 1918-1920 |
| 68 | Carlos Peña | 1,140 | 1,036 | 104 | |
| 69 | Donn Clendenon | 1,136 | 0 | 1,136 | Holds the National League single-season record of 182 (set in 1966) |
| 70 | Boog Powell | 1,131 | 1,130 | 1 | |
| 71 | Rod Carew* | 1,130 | 1,130 | 0 | |
| 72 | Lyle Overbay | 1,125 | 699 | 426 | |
| 73 | Ferris Fain | 1,124 | 1,124 | 0 | Holds the single-season record of 194 (set in 1949) |
| 74 | Mo Vaughn | 1,119 | 1,003 | 116 | |
| 75 | George Kelly* | 1,113 | 0 | 1,113 | Held the National League single-season record, 1921-1923 |
| 76 | Ryan Howard | 1,106 | 0 | 1,106 | |
| 77 | Earl Torgeson | 1,097 | 346 | 751 | |
| 78 | Ed Konetchy | 1,093 | 0 | 1,010 | Includes 83 in Federal League |
| | Jason Thompson | 1,090 | 593 | 497 | |
| 80 | Elbie Fletcher | 1,086 | 0 | 1,086 | |
| | Pete O'Brien | 1,086 | 1,086 | 0 | |
| | Gus Suhr | 1,086 | 0 | 1,086 | Held the National League single-season record, 1938-1939 |
| 83 | Rudy York | 1,072 | 1,072 | 0 | Held the single-season record, 1944-1949 |
| 84 | Vic Power | 1,056 | 1,047 | 9 | |
| 85 | Mike Hargrove | 1,043 | 1,019 | 24 | |
| 86 | José Abreu (0) | 1,033 | 1,033 | 0 | |
| 87 | Prince Fielder | 1,025 | 292 | 733 | |
| 88 | Eddie Robinson | 1,018 | 1,018 | 0 | |
| 89 | Phil Cavarretta | 1,012 | 29 | 983 | |
| 90 | Ernie Banks* | 1,005 | 0 | 1,005 | |
| | Carlos Santana (0) | 1,005 | 810 | 195 | |
| 92 | Chris Davis | 1,002 | 1,002 | 0 | |
| 93 | Jason Giambi | 995 | 947 | 48 | |
| 94 | Dan Driessen | 979 | 0 | 979 | |
| 95 | Miguel Cabrera | 974 | 974 | 0 | |
| 96 | Hank Greenberg* | 973 | 888 | 85 | |
| 97 | Walt Dropo | 968 | 926 | 42 | |
| 98 | Willie Montañez | 962 | 15 | 947 | |
| 99 | Jim Spencer | 956 | 956 | 0 | |
| | Fred Tenney | 956 | 0 | 956 | |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | Double plays as a first baseman | Double plays as a first baseman | Double plays as a first baseman | Other leagues, notes |
| Player | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| Roger Connor* | 955 | 0 | 876 | Includes 79 in the Players' League |
| Stan Musial* | 935 | 0 | 935 | |
| Jim Thome* | 913 | 638 | 275 | |
| Dan Brouthers* | 891 | 0 | 730 | Includes 82 in American Association, 79 in Players' League |
| Frank Thomas* | 776 | 776 | 0 | |
| Charles Comiskey* | 743 | 0 | 199 | Includes 492 in American Association, 52 in the Players' League |
| Willie Stargell* | 701 | 0 | 701 | |
| Harmon Killebrew* | 678 | 678 | 0 | |
| Carl Yastrzemski* | 610 | 610 | 0 | |
| Joe Torre* | 607 | 0 | 607 | |
| Joe Mauer* | 481 | 481 | 0 | |
| Frank Chance* | 470 | 2 | 468 | |
| George Brett* | 365 | 365 | 0 | |
| Ben Taylor* | 260 | 0 | 0 | Includes 143 in Negro National League (first), 100 in Eastern Colored League, 17 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
| Buck Leonard* | 247 | 0 | 0 | Includes 247 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
| Frank Robinson* | 237 | 50 | 187 | |
| Harry Heilmann* | 221 | 202 | 19 | |
| Mule Suttles* | 206 | 0 | 0 | Includes 105 in Negro National League (first), 79 in Negro National League (second), 22 in East–West League (incomplete) |
| David Ortiz* | 177 | 177 | 0 | |
| Mickey Mantle * | 173 | 173 | 0 | |
| Paul Molitor* | 169 | 169 | 0 | |
| Jackie Robinson* | 169 | 0 | 169 | Negro League totals unavailable |
| Hughie Jennings* | 159 | 2 | 147 | Includes 10 in American Association |
| Ed Delahanty* | 154 | 5 | 149 | |
| Buck Ewing* | 145 | 0 | 145 | |
| Ted Simmons* | 142 | 61 | 81 | |
| Honus Wagner* | 141 | 0 | 141 | |
| Oscar Charleston* | 139 | 0 | 0 | Includes 103 in Negro National League (second), 29 in Negro National League (first), 6 in American Negro League, 1 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete) |
| Nap Lajoie* | 137 | 64 | 73 | |
| Joe Kelley* | 136 | 4 | 132 | |
| Buck O'Neil* | 115 | 0 | 0 | Includes 115 in Negro American League (incomplete) |
| Jud Wilson* | 111 | 0 | 0 | Includes 68 in Negro National League (second), 31 in American Negro League, 12 in Eastern Colored League (incomplete) |
| Jim O'Rourke* | 110 | 0 | 45 | Includes 65 in National Association |
| Deacon White* | 65 | 0 | 32 | Includes 33 in the Players' League |
| Martín Dihigo* | 18 | 0 | 0 | Includes 8 in American Negro League, 8 in Eastern Colored League, 2 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |