# List of Major League Baseball career double plays as a pitcher 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. The pitcher is the player who pitches the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. The pitcher is often considered the most important player on the defensive side of the game, playing the most difficult and specialized position, and as such is regarded as being at the right end of the defensive spectrum. Pitchers play far less than players at other positions, generally appearing in only two or three games per week; only one pitcher in major league history has appeared in 100 games in a single season. There are many different types of pitchers, generally divided between starting pitchers and relief pitchers, which include the middle reliever, lefty specialist, setup man, and closer. In the scoring system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1.
Pitchers typically record double plays by ground balls hit to the pitcher. Most of the time, these double plays will go 1-6-3 (pitcher to shortstop to first baseman), though sometimes these double plays will go pitcher 1-4-3 (pitcher to second baseman to first baseman).
Greg Maddux is the all-time leader in career double plays by a pitcher with 98; he is the only pitcher to reach nearly 100 career double plays.

## Key

| Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career putouts. A blank field indicates a tie. |
| Player (2025 DPs) | Number of recorded double plays during the 2025 Major League Baseball season |
| Throws | Denotes right-handed (R) or left-handed (L) pitcher |
| MLB | Total career putouts as a pitcher 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) | Throws | Double plays as a pitcher | Double plays as a pitcher | Double plays as a pitcher | Other leagues, notes |
| Rank | Player (2025 DPs) | Throws | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| 1 | Greg Maddux* | R | 98 | 0 | 98 | |
| 2 | Phil Niekro* | R | 83 | 8 | 75 | |
| 3 | Warren Spahn* | L | 82 | 0 | 82 | |
| 4 | Freddie Fitzsimmons | R | 79 | 0 | 79 | |
| 5 | Bob Lemon* | R | 78 | 78 | 0 | |
| 6 | Bucky Walters | R | 76 | 0 | 76 | |
| 7 | Walter Johnson* | R | 75 | 75 | 0 | |
| 8 | Burleigh Grimes* | R | 74 | 0 | 74 | |
| 9 | Tommy John | L | 69 | 49 | 20 | |
| 10 | Tom Glavine* | L | 67 | 0 | 67 | |
| 11 | Liván Hernández | R | 65 | 0 | 65 | |
| | Jim Kaat* | L | 65 | 55 | 10 | |
| | Kenny Rogers | L | 65 | 63 | 2 | |
| 14 | Dizzy Trout | R | 63 | 63 | 0 | |
| 15 | Zack Greinke (0) | R | 62 | 25 | 37 | |
| 16 | Dennis Martínez | R | 61 | 36 | 25 | |
| 17 | Carl Mays | R | 59 | 37 | 22 | |
| 18 | Gaylord Perry* | R | 58 | 23 | 35 | |
| 19 | Ted Lyons* | R | 57 | 57 | 0 | |
| 20 | Eppa Rixey* | L | 56 | 0 | 56 | |
| 21 | Lew Burdette | R | 55 | 1 | 54 | |
| | Don Drysdale* | R | 55 | 0 | 55 | |
| | Carl Hubbell* | L | 55 | 0 | 55 | |
| 24 | Murry Dickson | R | 54 | 3 | 51 | |
| | Willis Hudlin | R | 54 | 54 | 0 | |
| | Kirk Rueter | L | 54 | 0 | 54 | |
| | Tom Seaver* | R | 54 | 5 | 49 | |
| 28 | Mark Buehrle | L | 53 | 48 | 5 | |
| | Jim Palmer* | R | 53 | 53 | 0 | |
| | Eddie Rommel | R | 53 | 53 | 0 | |
| 31 | Bullet Joe Bush | R | 52 | 51 | 1 | |
| 32 | Sad Sam Jones | R | 51 | 51 | 0 | |
| | Red Ruffing* | R | 51 | 51 | 0 | |
| 34 | Art Nehf | L | 50 | 0 | 50 | |
| 35 | Grover Cleveland Alexander* | R | 49 | 0 | 49 | |
| | Whitey Ford* | L | 49 | 0 | 49 | |
| | Paul Splittorff | L | 49 | 0 | 49 | |
| 38 | Bert Blyleven* | R | 48 | 42 | 6 | |
| | Jamie Moyer | L | 48 | 40 | 8 | |
| | Bobby Shantz | L | 48 | 42 | 6 | |
| 41 | Bartolo Colón | R | 47 | 30 | 17 | |
| | Stan Coveleski* | R | 47 | 47 | 0 | |
| | Early Wynn* | R | 47 | 47 | 0 | |
| 44 | John Denny | R | 46 | 11 | 35 | |
| | Bob Gibson* | R | 46 | 0 | 46 | |
| | Larry Jackson | R | 46 | 0 | 46 | |
| | Herb Pennock* | L | 46 | 46 | 0 | |
| | Rick Wise | R | 46 | 15 | 31 | |
| 49 | Ferguson Jenkins* | R | 45 | 23 | 22 | |
| | Robin Roberts* | R | 45 | 8 | 37 | |
| | Dave Stieb | R | 45 | 45 | 0 | |
| 52 | John Clarkson* | R | 44 | 0 | 44 | |
| | Pud Galvin* | R | 44 | 0 | 39 | Includes 3 in American Association, 1 in National Association, and 1 in Players' League |
| | Orel Hershiser | R | 44 | 6 | 38 | |
| | Claude Passeau | R | 44 | 0 | 44 | |
| | Fritz Peterson | L | 44 | 44 | 0 | |
| 57 | Mordecai Brown* | R | 43 | 0 | 36 | Includes 7 in Federal League |
| | Johnny Schmitz | L | 43 | 17 | 26 | |
| | George Uhle | R | 43 | 43 | 0 | |
| 60 | Harry Gumbert | R | 42 | 0 | 42 | |
| | Mike Hampton | L | 42 | 0 | 42 | |
| | Clarence Mitchell | L | 42 | 0 | 42 | |
| | Don Sutton* | R | 42 | 6 | 36 | |
| | Javier Vázquez | R | 42 | 15 | 27 | |
| 65 | Scott Erickson | R | 41 | 40 | 1 | |
| | Ned Garver | R | 41 | 41 | 0 | |
| | Ray Herbert | R | 41 | 36 | 5 | |
| | Sid Hudson | R | 41 | 41 | 0 | |
| | Vern Law | R | 41 | 0 | 41 | |
| | Dutch Leonard | R | 41 | 26 | 15 | |
| | Christy Mathewson* | R | 41 | 0 | 41 | |
| | Lee Meadows | R | 41 | 0 | 41 | |
| | Tony Mullane | R | 41 | 0 | 11 | Includes 30 in American Association |
| | Joe Niekro | R | 41 | 8 | 33 | |
| 75 | Larry French | L | 40 | 0 | 40 | |
| | Bob Friend | R | 40 | 0 | 40 | |
| | Mudcat Grant | R | 40 | 38 | 2 | |
| | Hal Newhouser* | L | 40 | 40 | 0 | |
| | Frank Tanana | L | 40 | 39 | 1 | |
| | Cy Young* | R | 40 | 18 | 22 | |
| 81 | Mike Caldwell | L | 39 | 24 | 15 | |
| | Curt Davis | R | 39 | 0 | 39 | |
| | Waite Hoyt* | R | 39 | 29 | 10 | |
| | Mike Morgan | R | 39 | 19 | 20 | |
| | Jack Quinn | R | 39 | 34 | 3 | Includes 2 in Federal League |
| | Charles Radbourn* | R | 39 | 0 | 35 | Includes 4 in Players' League |
| | Rick Reuschel | R | 39 | 0 | 39 | |
| 88 | Elden Auker | R | 38 | 38 | 0 | |
| | Jim Bagby | R | 38 | 36 | 2 | |
| | Guy Bush | R | 38 | 0 | 38 | |
| | Jon Garland | R | 38 | 29 | 9 | |
| | Mel Harder | R | 38 | 38 | 0 | |
| | Charlie Hough | R | 38 | 32 | 6 | |
| | Danny MacFayden | R | 38 | 22 | 16 | |
| | Milt Pappas | R | 38 | 23 | 15 | |
| | Dan Petry | R | 38 | 38 | 0 | |
| | Jerry Reuss | L | 38 | 6 | 32 | |
| | Bob Stanley | R | 38 | 38 | 0 | |
| | Mel Stottlemyre | R | 38 | 38 | 0 | |
| | Walt Terrell | R | 38 | 27 | 11 | |
| | Mike Torrez | R | 38 | 21 | 17 | |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | Throws | Double plays as a pitcher | Double plays as a pitcher | Double plays as a pitcher | Other leagues, notes |
| Player | Throws | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| Mike Mussina* | R | 37 | 37 | 0 | |
| Eddie Plank* | L | 37 | 33 | 0 | Includes 4 in Federal League |
| Steve Carlton* | L | 36 | 3 | 33 | |
| Jack Morris* | R | 36 | 36 | 0 | |
| Red Faber* | R | 35 | 35 | 0 | |
| Amos Rusie* | R | 35 | 0 | 35 | |
| Kid Nichols* | R | 34 | 0 | 34 | |
| Jesse Haines* | R | 32 | 0 | 32 | |
| Ed Walsh* | R | 32 | 32 | 0 | |
| John Smoltz* | R | 30 | 1 | 29 | |
| Albert Spalding* | R | 29 | 0 | 7 | Includes 22 in National Association |
| Dazzy Vance* | R | 29 | 0 | 29 | |
| Vic Willis* | R | 29 | 0 | 29 | |
| Jack Chesbro* | R | 28 | 21 | 7 | |
| Bob Feller* | R | 28 | 28 | 0 | |
| Tim Keefe* | R | 28 | 0 | 21 | Includes 5 in American Association, 2 in Players' League |
| Juan Marichal* | R | 27 | 0 | 27 | |
| Rube Marquard* | L | 27 | 0 | 27 | |
| Nolan Ryan* | R | 27 | 16 | 11 | |
| Lefty Grove* | L | 26 | 26 | 0 | |
| Joe McGinnity* | R | 25 | 3 | 22 | |
| Charles Bender* | R | 24 | 16 | 5 | Includes 3 in Federal League |
| Rollie Fingers* | R | 23 | 22 | 1 | |
| Mickey Welch* | R | 23 | 0 | 23 | |
| Clark Griffith* | R | 22 | 7 | 14 | Includes 1 in American Association |