# List of Major League Baseball career games played as a first 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. 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. It is the only one of the four infield positions commonly played by left-handed players. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3.
Throughout major league history, there have been players who enjoyed long careers as first basemen; in the 19th century, Cap Anson was the first player ever to appear in 2,000 games at any single position. Through 2021, 21 players had appeared in over 2,000 games as first basemen, more than at any other position; at least one of the 21 has been active in every major league season, except the last two years of World War II. Eddie Murray is the all-time leader in career games as a first baseman, playing 2,413 games at the position.

## 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 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 Gs) | Games as first baseman | Games as first baseman | Games as first baseman | Other leagues, notes |
| Rank | Player (2025 Gs) | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| 1 | Eddie Murray* | 2,413 | 1,647 | 766 | |
| 2 | Jake Beckley* | 2,383 | 0 | 2,259 | Includes 124 in Players' League; held major league record, 1905-1994; holds the record for left-handed first baseman |
| 3 | Fred McGriff* | 2,239 | 958 | 1,281 | |
| 4 | Mickey Vernon | 2,237 | 2,227 | 10 | |
| 5 | Todd Helton* | 2,178 | 0 | 2,178 | |
| 6 | Mark Grace | 2,162 | 0 | 2,162 | |
| 7 | Cap Anson* | 2,152 | 0 | 2,059 | Includes 93 in National Association; held major league record, 1888-1905; held NL record, 1887-1905; held the major league record for a right-handed first baseman, 1881-1992; held NL record for a right-handed first baseman, 1885-2003 |
| 8 | Rafael Palmeiro | 2,139 | 2,116 | 23 | |
| 9 | Lou Gehrig* | 2,137 | 2,137 | 0 | Held American League record, 1938-1958 |
| 10 | Charlie Grimm | 2,131 | 0 | 2,131 | |
| 11 | Jeff Bagwell* | 2,111 | 0 | 2,111 | Holds NL record for right-handed first baseman |
| 12 | Andrés Galarraga | 2,106 | 26 | 2,080 | Held NL record for a right-handed first baseman, 2003-2004 |
| 13 | Joe Judge | 2,084 | 2,056 | 28 | Held American League record, 1928-1938 |
| 14 | Ed Konetchy | 2,073 | 0 | 1,921 | Includes 152 in Federal League |
| 15 | Steve Garvey | 2,059 | 0 | 2,059 | Held NL record for a right-handed first baseman, 1987-2003 |
| 16 | Joe Kuhel | 2,057 | 2,057 | 0 | |
| 17 | John Olerud | 2,053 | 1,590 | 463 | |
| 18 | Willie McCovey* | 2,045 | 0 | 2,045 | |
| 19 | Albert Pujols | 2,026 | 613 | 1,413 | |
| 20 | Keith Hernandez | 2,014 | 42 | 1,972 | |
| 21 | Freddie Freeman (0) | 2,006 | 0 | 2,006 | |
| 22 | Jake Daubert | 2,002 | 0 | 2,002 | |
| 23 | Stuffy McInnis | 1,995 | 1,608 | 387 | Held American League record, 1921-1928 |
| 24 | George Sisler* | 1,971 | 1,592 | 379 | |
| 25 | Joey Votto | 1,970 | 0 | 1,970 | |
| 26 | Chris Chambliss | 1,962 | 1,252 | 710 | |
| 27 | Norm Cash | 1,943 | 1,943 | 0 | |
| 28 | Jimmie Foxx* | 1,919 | 1,827 | 92 | Held AL record for a right-handed first baseman, 1940-2013 |
| 29 | Wally Joyner | 1,913 | 1,376 | 537 | |
| 30 | Gil Hodges* | 1,908 | 0 | 1,908 | |
| 31 | Paul Konerko | 1,904 | 1,873 | 31 | Holds AL record for right-handed first baseman |
| 32 | Derrek Lee | 1,901 | 85 | 1,816 | |
| 33 | Will Clark | 1,889 | 715 | 1,174 | |
| 33 | Jim Bottomley* | 1,885 | 164 | 1,721 | |
| 35 | Tino Martinez | 1,869 | 1,594 | 275 | |
| 36 | Paul Goldschmidt (0) | 1,845 | 0 | 1,845 | |
| 37 | Adrián González | 1,836 | 292 | 1,544 | |
| 38 | Wally Pipp | 1,819 | 1,478 | 341 | |
| 39 | Hal Chase | 1,815 | 1,176 | 423 | Includes 216 in Federal League |
| 40 | Fred Tenney | 1,810 | 0 | 1,810 | |
| 41 | Tony Pérez* | 1,778 | 195 | 1,583 | |
| 42 | George Scott | 1,773 | 1,773 | 0 | |
| 43 | Mark Teixeira | 1,769 | 1,613 | 156 | |
| 44 | Carlos Delgado | 1,767 | 1,168 | 599 | |
| 45 | Mark McGwire | 1,763 | 1,251 | 512 | |
| 46 | Roger Connor* | 1,759 | 0 | 1,636 | Includes 123 in Players' League; held the record for a left-handed first baseman, 1892-1901 |
| 47 | Anthony Rizzo (0) | 1,699 | 351 | 1,348 | |
| 47 | Eric Karros | 1,698 | 22 | 1,676 | |
| 49 | Orlando Cepeda* | 1,683 | 0 | 1,683 | |
| 50 | George Burns | 1,671 | 1,671 | 0 | Held American League record, 1928; held AL record for a right-handed first baseman, 1928-1940 |
| 51 | Tommy Tucker | 1,670 | 0 | 1,282 | Includes 388 in American Association |
| 52 | Johnny Mize* | 1,667 | 213 | 1,454 | |
| 53 | J. T. Snow | 1,656 | 519 | 1,137 | |
| 54 | Dan Brouthers* | 1,636 | 0 | 1,380 | Includes 130 in American Association, 126 in the Players' League |
| 55 | Don Mattingly | 1,634 | 1,634 | 0 | |
| 56 | Harry Davis | 1,628 | 1,393 | 235 | Held American League record, 1905-1921 |
| 57 | Eric Hosmer | 1,622 | 1,042 | 580 | |
| 58 | Kent Hrbek | 1,609 | 1,609 | 0 | |
| 59 | Bill Terry* | 1,579 | 0 | 1,579 | |
| 60 | Lu Blue | 1,571 | 1,570 | 1 | |
| 61 | Bill Buckner | 1,555 | 553 | 1,002 | |
| 62 | Fred Merkle | 1,547 | 6 | 1,541 | |
| 63 | George McQuinn | 1,529 | 1,491 | 38 | |
| 64 | Lee May | 1,507 | 401 | 1,106 | |
| 65 | Joe Adcock | 1,501 | 351 | 1,150 | |
| 66 | Ted Kluszewski | 1,481 | 134 | 1,347 | |
| 67 | Boog Powell | 1,479 | 1,475 | 4 | |
| 68 | John Mayberry | 1,478 | 1,394 | 84 | |
| 69 | Ryan Howard | 1,477 | 0 | 1,477 | |
| | Bill White | 1,477 | 0 | 1,477 | |
| 71 | Dolph Camilli | 1,476 | 54 | 1,422 | |
| 72 | Cecil Cooper | 1,475 | 1,475 | 0 | |
| 73 | Adam LaRoche | 1,468 | 52 | 1,416 | |
| 74 | Bill Skowron | 1,463 | 1,397 | 66 | |
| 75 | Frank McCormick | 1,448 | 0 | 1,448 | |
| 76 | Lyle Overbay | 1,435 | 833 | 602 | |
| 77 | Earl Torgeson | 1,416 | 448 | 968 | |
| 78 | Gus Suhr | 1,406 | 0 | 1,406 | |
| 79 | James Loney | 1,392 | 435 | 957 | |
| 80 | Carlos Santana (0) | 1,383 | 1,099 | 284 | |
| 81 | Elbie Fletcher | 1,380 | 0 | 1,380 | |
| 82 | Carlos Peña | 1,379 | 1,226 | 153 | |
| 83 | Mike Hargrove | 1,378 | 1,341 | 37 | |
| 84 | Dan McGann | 1,377 | 68 | 1,309 | |
| | Pete O'Brien | 1,377 | 1,377 | 0 | |
| 86 | Dan Driessen | 1,375 | 0 | 1,375 | |
| 87 | George Kelly* | 1,373 | 0 | 1,373 | |
| 88 | Charles Comiskey* | 1,363 | 0 | 267 | Includes 1,008 in American Association, 88 in the Players' League |
| 89 | Fred Luderus | 1,326 | 0 | 1,326 | |
| 90 | Prince Fielder | 1,324 | 376 | 948 | |
| | Justin Morneau | 1,324 | 1,124 | 200 | |
| 92 | Hal Trosky | 1,321 | 1,321 | 0 | |
| 93 | Jason Thompson | 1,314 | 649 | 665 | |
| 94 | Sean Casey | 1,313 | 228 | 1,085 | |
| | Jack Fournier | 1,313 | 320 | 993 | |
| 96 | Jason Giambi | 1,307 | 1,229 | 78 | |
| 97 | Mo Vaughn | 1,305 | 1,147 | 158 | |
| 98 | Ed Kranepool | 1,304 | 0 | 1,304 | |
| | Vic Power | 1,304 | 1,287 | 17 | |
| 100 | Kitty Bransfield | 1,291 | 0 | 1,291 | |

## Other Hall of Famers

| Player | Games as the first baseman | Games as the first baseman | Games as the first baseman | Other leagues, notes |
| Player | MLB | American League | National League | Other leagues, notes |
| Ernie Banks* | 1,259 | 0 | 1,259 | |
| Rod Carew* | 1,184 | 1,184 | 0 | |
| Hank Greenberg* | 1,138 | 1,019 | 119 | |
| Jim Thome* | 1,106 | 760 | 346 | |
| Stan Musial* | 1,016 | 0 | 1,016 | |
| Frank Chance* | 997 | 8 | 989 | |
| Frank Thomas* | 971 | 971 | 0 | |
| Harmon Killebrew* | 969 | 969 | 0 | |
| Willie Stargell* | 848 | 0 | 848 | |
| Dick Allen* | 807 | 385 | 422 | |
| Joe Torre* | 787 | 0 | 787 | |
| Carl Yastrzemski* | 765 | 765 | 0 | |
| Ben Taylor* | 611 | 0 | 0 | Includes 293 in Eastern Colored League, 286 in Negro National League (first), 32 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
| Joe Mauer* | 603 | 603 | 0 | |
| Buck Leonard* | 585 | 0 | 0 | Includes 585 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |
| Mule Suttles* | 575 | 0 | 0 | Includes 318 in Negro National League (first), 205 in Negro National League (second), 52 in East–West League (incomplete) |
| George Brett* | 461 | 461 | 0 | |
| Harry Heilmann* | 448 | 423 | 25 | |
| Jud Wilson* | 403 | 0 | 0 | Includes 202 in Negro National League (second), 148 in Eastern Colored League, 53 in American Negro League (incomplete) |
| Buck O'Neil* | 347 | 0 | 0 | Includes 347 in Negro American League (incomplete) |
| Hughie Jennings* | 331 | 3 | 311 | Includes 17 in American Association |
| Frank Robinson* | 305 | 77 | 228 | |
| Oscar Charleston* | 291 | 0 | 0 | Includes 208 in Negro National League (second), 57 in Negro National League (first), 10 in American Negro League, 9 in Eastern Colored League, 7 in Negro American League (incomplete) |
| Joe Kelley* | 291 | 5 | 286 | |
| Nap Lajoie* | 286 | 138 | 148 | |
| David Ortiz* | 278 | 278 | 0 | |
| Ed Delahanty* | 271 | 14 | 256 | Includes 1 in Players' League |
| Mickey Mantle* | 262 | 262 | 0 | |
| Buck Ewing* | 253 | 0 | 253 | |
| Honus Wagner * | 248 | 0 | 248 | |
| Jim O'Rourke* | 214 | 0 | 103 | Includes 111 in National Association |
| Jackie Robinson* | 198 | 0 | 197 | Includes 1 in Negro American League (incomplete) |
| Paul Molitor* | 197 | 197 | 0 | |
| Ted Simmons* | 195 | 69 | 126 | |
| Deacon White* | 133 | 0 | 74 | Includes 57 in the Players' League, 2 in National Association |
| Martín Dihigo* | 80 | 0 | 0 | Includes 57 in Eastern Colored League, 18 in American Negro League, 5 in Negro National League (second) (incomplete) |