# List of Major League Baseball retired numbers

Major League Baseball (MLB) and its participating clubs have retired various uniform numbers over the course of time, ensuring that those numbers are never worn again and thus will always be associated with particular players or managers of note. The use of numbers on uniforms to better identify one player from another, and hence to boost sales of scorecards, was tried briefly by the Cleveland Indians of 1916, but this failed. The first team to permanently adopt the practice was the New York Yankees of 1929. By 1932, all 16 major league clubs were issuing numbers, and by 1937, the leagues passed rules requiring it.
The Yankees' original approach was to simply assign the numbers 1 through 8 to the regular starting lineup in their normal batting order. Hence, Babe Ruth wore number 3 and Lou Gehrig number 4. The first major leaguer whose number was retired was Gehrig, in July 1939, following his retirement due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which became popularly known in the United States as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Since then, over 150 other people have had their numbers retired, some with more than one team. This includes managers and coaches, as MLB is the only one of the major North American professional leagues in which the coaching staff wear the same uniforms as players. Three numbers have been retired in honor of people not directly involved on the playing field – all three for team executives. Some of the game's early stars, such as Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson, retired before numbers came into usage. Teams often celebrate their retired numbers and other honored people by hanging banners with the numbers and names. Early stars, as well as honored non-players, will often have numberless banners hanging along with the retired numbers. Because fewer and fewer players stay with one team long enough to warrant their number being retired, some players believe that getting their number retired is a greater honor than going into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ron Santo, upon his number 10 being retired by the Chicago Cubs on the last day of the 2003 regular season, enthusiastically told the Wrigley Field crowd as his #10 flag was hoisted, "This is my Hall of Fame!" However, Santo would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July 2012, nearly two years after his death, after being voted in by the Veterans Committee.

## List of all-time retired numbers

| † | Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
| ‡ | Ford C. Frick Award winner |
| No. | Player or other figure | Team | Date |
| 1 | Billy Meyer | Pirates | 1954 |
| 1 | Bud Selig$^†$ | Brewers | April 6, 2015 |
| 1 | Pee Wee Reese$^†$ | Dodgers | July 1, 1984 |
| 1 | Bobby Doerr$^†$ | Red Sox | May 21, 1988 |
| 1 | Fred Hutchinson | Reds | October 19, 1964 |
| 1 | Ozzie Smith$^†$ | Cardinals | September 26, 1996 |
| 1 | Richie Ashburn$^†$ | Phillies | August 24, 1979 |
| 1 | Billy Martin | Yankees | August 10, 1986 |
| 1 | Lou Whitaker | Tigers | August 6, 2022 |
| 2 | Red Schoendienst$^†$ | Cardinals | May 11, 1996 |
| 2 | Nellie Fox$^†$ | White Sox | May 1, 1976 |
| 2 | Tommy Lasorda$^†$ | Dodgers | August 15, 1997 |
| 2 | Charlie Gehringer$^†$ | Tigers | June 12, 1983 |
| 2 | Derek Jeter$^†$ | Yankees | May 14, 2017 |
| 3 | Babe Ruth$^†$ | Yankees | June 13, 1948 |
| 3 | Earl Averill$^†$ | Guardians | June 8, 1975 |
| 3 | Bill Terry$^†$ | Giants | April 5, 1983 |
| 3 | Harmon Killebrew$^†$ | Twins | May 4, 1975 |
| 3 | Dale Murphy | Braves | June 13, 1994 |
| 3 | Harold Baines$^†$ | White Sox | August 20, 1989 |
| 3 | Alan Trammell$^†$ | Tigers | August 26, 2018 |
| 4 | Luke Appling$^†$ | White Sox | June 7, 1975 |
| 4 | Earl Weaver$^†$ | Orioles | September 19, 1982 |
| 4 | Duke Snider$^†$ | Dodgers | July 6, 1980 |
| 4 | Ralph Kiner$^†$ | Pirates | September 19, 1987 |
| 4 | Lou Gehrig$^†$ | Yankees | July 4, 1939 |
| 4 | Paul Molitor$^†$ | Brewers | June 11, 1999 |
| 4 | Mel Ott$^†$ | Giants | July 17, 1948 |
| 4 | Joe Cronin$^†$ | Red Sox | May 30, 1984 |
| 5 | Brooks Robinson$^†$ | Orioles | April 14, 1978 |
| 5 | Lou Boudreau$^†$ | Guardians | July 9, 1970 |
| 5 | George Brett$^†$ | Royals | May 14, 1994 |
| 5 | Johnny Bench$^†$ | Reds | August 11, 1984 |
| 5 | Hank Greenberg$^†$ | Tigers | June 12, 1983 |
| 5 | Joe DiMaggio$^†$ | Yankees | April 18, 1952 |
| 5 | Jeff Bagwell$^†$ | Astros | August 26, 2007 |
| 6 | Johnny Pesky | Red Sox | September 28, 2008 |
| 6 | Steve Garvey | Padres | April 16, 1988 |
| 6 | Stan Musial$^†$ | Cardinals | September 29, 1963 |
| 6 | Al Kaline$^†$ | Tigers | August 17, 1980 |
| 6 | Tony Oliva$^†$ | Twins | July 14, 1991 |
| 6 | Bobby Cox$^†$ | Braves | August 12, 2011 |
| 6 | Joe Torre$^†$ | Yankees | August 23, 2014 |
| 7 | Mickey Mantle$^†$ | Yankees | June 8, 1969 |
| 7 | Craig Biggio$^†$ | Astros | August 17, 2008 |
| 7 | Iván Rodríguez$^†$ | Rangers | August 12, 2017 |
| 7 | Joe Mauer$^†$ | Twins | June 15, 2019 |
| 8 | Willie Stargell$^†$ | Pirates | September 6, 1982 |
| 8 | Joe Morgan$^†$ | Reds | June 6, 1998 |
| 8 | Yogi Berra$^†$ | Yankees | July 22, 1972 |
| 8 | Bill Dickey$^†$ | Yankees | July 22, 1972 |
| 8 | Cal Ripken Jr.$^†$ | Orioles | October 6, 2001 |
| 8 | Carl Yastrzemski$^†$ | Red Sox | August 6, 1989 |
| 9 | Ted Williams$^†$ | Red Sox | September 1960 |
| 9 | Reggie Jackson$^†$ | Athletics | May 22, 2004 |
| 9 | Minnie Miñoso$^†$ | White Sox | May 8, 1983 |
| 9 | Enos Slaughter$^†$ | Cardinals | September 6, 1996 |
| 9 | Bill Mazeroski$^†$ | Pirates | August 7, 1987 |
| 9 | Roger Maris | Yankees | July 21, 1984 |
| 10 | Sparky Anderson$^†$ | Reds | May 28, 2005 |
| 10 | Dick Howser | Royals | July 3, 1987 |
| 10 | Phil Rizzuto$^†$ | Yankees | August 4, 1985 |
| 10 | Ron Santo$^†$ | Cubs | September 28, 2003 |
| 10 | Tony La Russa$^†$ | Cardinals | May 11, 2012 |
| 10 | Tom Kelly | Twins | September 8, 2012 |
| 10 | Chipper Jones$^†$ | Braves | June 28, 2013 |
| 10 | Michael Young | Rangers | August 31, 2019 |
| 10 | Jim Leyland$^†$ | Tigers | August 3, 2024 |
| 11 | Carl Hubbell$^†$ | Giants | 1944 |
| 11 | Jim Fregosi | Angels | August 1, 1998 |
| 11 | Luis Aparicio$^†$ | White Sox | August 14, 1984 |
| 11 | Paul Waner$^†$ | Pirates | July 21, 2007 |
| 11 | Sparky Anderson$^†$ | Tigers | June 26, 2011 |
| 11 | Barry Larkin$^†$ | Reds | August 25, 2012 |
| 11 | Edgar Martínez$^†$ | Mariners | August 12, 2017 |
| 11 | Ryan Zimmerman | Nationals | June 18, 2022 |
| 12 | Wade Boggs$^†$ | Rays | April 7, 2000 |
| 13 | Dave Concepción | Reds | August 25, 2007 |
| 14 | Ernie Banks$^†$ | Cubs | August 22, 1982 |
| 14 | Kent Hrbek | Twins | August 13, 1995 |
| 14 | Larry Doby$^†$ | Guardians | July 3, 1994 |
| 14 | Ken Boyer | Cardinals | May 20, 1984 |
| 14 | Gil Hodges$^†$ | Mets | June 9, 1973 |
| 14 | Jim Bunning$^†$ | Phillies | April 16, 2001 |
| 14 | Jim Rice$^†$ | Red Sox | July 28, 2009 |
| 14 | Paul Konerko | White Sox | May 23, 2015 |
| 14 | Pete Rose | Reds | June 26, 2016 |
| 14 | Gil Hodges$^†$ | Dodgers | June 4, 2022 |
| 15 | Dick Allen$^†$ | Phillies | September 3, 2020 |
| 15 | Thurman Munson | Yankees | August 3, 1979 |
| 16 | Ted Lyons$^†$ | White Sox | July 25, 1987 |
| 16 | Whitey Ford$^†$ | Yankees | August 3, 1974 |
| 16 | Hal Newhouser$^†$ | Tigers | July 27, 1997 |
| 16 | Dwight Gooden | Mets | April 14, 2024 |
| 17 | Dizzy Dean$^†$ | Cardinals | September 22, 1974 |
| 17 | Todd Helton$^†$ | Rockies | August 17, 2014 |
| 17 | Keith Hernandez | Mets | July 9, 2022 |
| 18 | Mel Harder | Guardians | July 28, 1990 |
| 18 | Ted Kluszewski | Reds | July 18, 1998 |
| 18 | Darryl Strawberry | Mets | June 1, 2024 |
| 19 | Bob Feller$^†$ | Guardians | December 28, 1956 |
| 19 | Billy Pierce | White Sox | July 25, 1987 |
| 19 | Jim Gilliam | Dodgers | October 10, 1978 |
| 19 | Tony Gwynn$^†$ | Padres | September 4, 2004 |
| 19 | Robin Yount$^†$ | Brewers | May 29, 1994 |
| 20 | Luis Gonzalez | Diamondbacks | August 7, 2010 |
| 20 | Monte Irvin$^†$ | Giants | June 26, 2010 |
| 20 | Lou Brock$^†$ | Cardinals | September 9, 1979 |
| 20 | Jorge Posada | Yankees | August 22, 2015 |
| 20 | Frank Robinson$^†$ | Orioles | March 10, 1972 |
| 20 | Frank Robinson$^†$ | Reds | May 22, 1998 |
| 20 | Frank Robinson$^†$ | Guardians | May 27, 2017 |
| 20 | Pie Traynor$^†$ | Pirates | April 18, 1972 |
| 20 | Mike Schmidt$^†$ | Phillies | May 26, 1990 |
| 20 | Don Sutton$^†$ | Dodgers | August 14, 1998 |
| 20 | Frank White | Royals | May 2, 1995 |
| 21 | Bob Lemon$^†$ | Guardians | June 20, 1998 |
| 21 | Warren Spahn$^†$ | Braves | December 11, 1965 |
| 21 | Roberto Clemente$^†$ | Pirates | April 6, 1973 |
| 21 | Paul O'Neill | Yankees | August 21, 2022 |
| 22 | Jim Palmer$^†$ | Orioles | September 1, 1985 |
| 22 | Will Clark | Giants | July 30, 2022 |
| 23 | Ryne Sandberg$^†$ | Cubs | August 28, 2005 |
| 23 | Don Mattingly | Yankees | August 31, 1997 |
| 23 | Willie Horton | Tigers | July 15, 2000 |
| 23 | Ted Simmons$^†$ | Cardinals | July 31, 2021 |
| 24 | Whitey Herzog$^†$ | Cardinals | July 31, 2010 |
| 24 | Tony Pérez$^†$ | Reds | May 27, 2000 |
| 24 | Willie Mays$^†$ | Giants | May 12, 1972 |
| 24 | Walter Alston$^†$ | Dodgers | June 5, 1977 |
| 24 | Ken Griffey Jr.$^†$ | Mariners | August 6, 2016 |
| 24 | Jimmy Wynn | Astros | June 25, 2005 |
| 24 | Rickey Henderson$^†$ | Athletics | August 1, 2009 |
| 24 | Willie Mays$^†$ | Mets | August 27, 2022 |
| 25 | José Cruz | Astros | October 3, 1992 |
| 25 | Barry Bonds | Giants | August 11, 2018 |
| 25 | Jim Thome$^†$ | Guardians | August 18, 2018 |
| 25 | Andruw Jones | Braves | September 9, 2023 |
| 26 | Billy Williams$^†$ | Cubs | August 13, 1987 |
| 26 | Gene Autry | Angels | August 3, 1982 |
| 26 | Johnny Oates | Rangers | August 5, 2005 |
| 26 | Wade Boggs$^†$ | Red Sox | May 26, 2016 |
| 27 | Carlton Fisk$^†$ | Red Sox | September 4, 2000 |
| 27 | Catfish Hunter$^†$ | Athletics | June 9, 1991 |
| 27 | Juan Marichal$^†$ | Giants | July 10, 1983 |
| 28 | Bert Blyleven$^†$ | Twins | July 16, 2011 |
| 29 | Rod Carew$^†$ | Angels | August 6, 1991 |
| 29 | Rod Carew$^†$ | Twins | July 19, 1987 |
| 29 | John Smoltz$^†$ | Braves | June 8, 2012 |
| 29 | Adrián Beltré$^†$ | Rangers | June 8, 2019 |
| 30 | Orlando Cepeda$^†$ | Giants | July 11, 1999 |
| 30 | Nolan Ryan$^†$ | Angels | June 16, 1992 |
| 31 | Dave Winfield$^†$ | Padres | April 14, 2001 |
| 31 | Greg Maddux$^†$ | Cubs | May 3, 2009 |
| 31 | Greg Maddux$^†$ | Braves | July 17, 2009 |
| 31 | Ferguson Jenkins$^†$ | Cubs | May 3, 2009 |
| 31 | Mike Piazza$^†$ | Mets | July 30, 2016 |
| 32 | Steve Carlton$^†$ | Phillies | July 29, 1989 |
| 32 | Sandy Koufax$^†$ | Dodgers | June 4, 1972 |
| 32 | Elston Howard | Yankees | July 21, 1984 |
| 32 | Jim Umbricht | Astros | April 12, 1965 |
| 32 | Roy Halladay$^†$ | Blue Jays | March 29, 2018 |
| 33 | Mike Scott | Astros | October 3, 1992 |
| 33 | Eddie Murray$^†$ | Orioles | June 7, 1998 |
| 33 | Honus Wagner$^†$ | Pirates | February 16, 1952 |
| 33 | Larry Walker$^†$ | Rockies | September 25, 2021 |
| 34 | Rollie Fingers$^†$ | Brewers | August 9, 1992 |
| 34 | Rollie Fingers$^†$ | Athletics | July 5, 1993 |
| 34 | Nolan Ryan$^†$ | Rangers | September 15, 1996 |
| 34 | Nolan Ryan$^†$ | Astros | September 29, 1996 |
| 34 | Kirby Puckett$^†$ | Twins | May 25, 1997 |
| 34 | David Ortiz$^†$ | Red Sox | June 23, 2017 |
| 34 | Roy Halladay$^†$ | Phillies | August 8, 2021 |
| 34 | Dave Stewart | Athletics | September 11, 2022 |
| 34 | Fernando Valenzuela | Dodgers | August 11, 2023 |
| 35 | Randy Jones | Padres | May 9, 1997 |
| 35 | Phil Niekro$^†$ | Braves | August 6, 1984 |
| 35 | Frank Thomas$^†$ | White Sox | August 29, 2010 |
| 36 | Gaylord Perry$^†$ | Giants | July 23, 2005 |
| 36 | Robin Roberts$^†$ | Phillies | March 21, 1962 |
| 36 | Jerry Koosman | Mets | August 28, 2021 |
| 36 | Jim Kaat$^†$ | Twins | July 16, 2022 |
| 37 | Casey Stengel$^†$ | Yankees | August 8, 1970 |
| 37 | Casey Stengel$^†$ | Mets | September 2, 1965 |
| 39 | Roy Campanella$^†$ | Dodgers | June 4, 1972 |
| 40 | Don Wilson | Astros | April 13, 1975 |
| 40 | Danny Murtaugh | Pirates | April 7, 1977 |
| 41 | Eddie Mathews$^†$ | Braves | July 26, 1969 |
| 41 | Tom Seaver$^†$ | Mets | July 24, 1988 |
| 42 | Mariano Rivera$^†$ | Yankees | September 22, 2013 |
| 42 | Jackie Robinson$^†$ | Dodgers | June 4, 1972 |
| 42 | Jackie Robinson$^†$ | All MLB | April 15, 1997 |
| 42 | Bruce Sutter$^†$ | Cardinals | September 17, 2006 |
| 43 | Dennis Eckersley$^†$ | Athletics | August 13, 2005 |
| 44 | Hank Aaron$^†$ | Braves | April 15, 1977 |
| 44 | Hank Aaron$^†$ | Brewers | October 3, 1976 |
| 44 | Reggie Jackson$^†$ | Yankees | August 14, 1993 |
| 44 | Willie McCovey$^†$ | Giants | September 21, 1980 |
| 45 | Bob Gibson$^†$ | Cardinals | September 1, 1975 |
| 45 | Pedro Martínez$^†$ | Red Sox | July 28, 2015 |
| 46 | Andy Pettitte | Yankees | August 23, 2015 |
| 47 | Tom Glavine$^†$ | Braves | August 6, 2010 |
| 47 | Jack Morris$^†$ | Tigers | August 12, 2018 |
| 49 | Larry Dierker | Astros | May 19, 2002 |
| 49 | Ron Guidry | Yankees | August 23, 2003 |
| 50 | Jimmie Reese | Angels | August 2, 1995 |
| 51 | Randy Johnson$^†$ | Diamondbacks | August 8, 2015 |
| 51 | Trevor Hoffman$^†$ | Padres | August 21, 2011 |
| 51 | Bernie Williams | Yankees | May 24, 2015 |
| 53 | Don Drysdale$^†$ | Dodgers | July 1, 1984 |
| 56 | Mark Buehrle | White Sox | June 24, 2017 |
| 66 | Don Zimmer | Rays | April 6, 2015 |
| 72 | Carlton Fisk$^†$ | White Sox | September 14, 1997 |
| 85 | August Busch, Jr. | Cardinals | April 13, 1984 |
| 455 | Cleveland fans | Guardians | May 29, 2001 |
| KSM | Keli McGregor | Rockies | September 28, 2010 |
| NY | Christy Mathewson$^†$ | Giants | August 17, 1986 |
| NY | John McGraw$^†$ | Giants | August 17, 1986 |
| P | Grover Cleveland Alexander$^†$ | Phillies | April 6, 2001 |
| P | Chuck Klein$^†$ | Phillies | April 6, 2001 |
| SHEA | William Shea | Mets | April 8, 2008 |
| SL | Rogers Hornsby$^†$ | Cardinals | 1997 |
| | Jack Buck$^‡$ | Cardinals | 2002 |
| | Jaime Jarrín$^‡$ | Dodgers | September 21, 2018 |
| | Vin Scully$^‡$ | Dodgers | May 3, 2017 |
| | Ralph Kiner$^†$ | Mets | March 31, 2014 |
| | Bob Murphy$^†$ | Mets | April 5, 2023 |
* ↑ Team founder and former MLB Commissioner. Number selected symbolically.
* ↑ Aparicio's number was temporarily unretired with his approval for fellow Venezuelan shortstop Omar Vizquel. Vizquel played the 2010 and 2011 seasons with the White Sox.
* ↑ Date of formal ceremony; number retirement took effect at the start of the 2016 MLB season. The number was also retired for all Mariners minor league affiliates at that time.
* ↑ Team founder. The number represents the "26th man"—At the time of the number's retirement, Major League Baseball rosters were limited to 25 players prior September 1, when rosters expanded to 40.
* 1 2 Number was already retired league-wide.
* ↑ Served as president, chairman, or CEO of the Cardinals from the team's purchase by Anheuser-Busch in 1953 until his death in 1989. The number represents his age at the time the number was retired in 1984.
* ↑ Number was selected symbolically. The number 455 was retired in honor of the fans after the Cleveland Indians sold out 455 consecutive games.
* ↑ Rockies president Keli McGregor was honored by having his initials "KSM" displayed in a manner similar to a retired number after his death.
* ↑ Christy Mathewson played in the era before uniform numbers were used. He was honored for his tenure with the then-New York Giants with the letters "NY" displayed in a manner similar to a retired number.
* ↑ John McGraw played in the era before uniform numbers were used. He was honored for his tenure with the then-New York Giants with the letters "NY" displayed in a manner similar to a retired number.
* ↑ Grover Cleveland Alexander only played in the era before uniform numbers were used. Alexander was honored with a Phillies letter "P" logo displayed in a manner similar to a retired number.
* ↑ Chuck Klein first played in the era before uniform numbers were used. He later frequently changed his number. Instead of retiring a number, Klein was honored with a Phillies letter "P" logo displayed in a manner similar to a retired number.
* ↑ William Shea was the attorney who was in large part responsible for the creation of the Mets in 1961. The team's second home, Shea Stadium, was named for him. He was honored with the name "SHEA" displayed in a manner similar to a retired number.
* ↑ Rogers Hornsby played most of his career in the era before uniform numbers were used. He wore number 4 with the Cardinals late in his career. Hornsby was honored with the letters "SL" displayed in a manner similar to a retired number.
* ↑ Broadcaster Jack Buck was honored by the Cardinals with a microphone displayed in a similar manner to a retired number.
* ↑ Broadcaster Jaime Jarrín was honored by the Dodgers with a microphone displayed in a similar manner to a retired number.
* ↑ Broadcaster Vin Scully was honored by the Dodgers with a microphone displayed in a similar manner to a retired number.
* ↑ Ralph Kiner was honored by the Mets as a broadcaster with a microphone displayed in a similar manner to a retired number.
* ↑ Broadcaster Bob Murphy was honored by the Mets with a microphone displayed in a similar manner to a retired number.

## List of pending number retirements

| No. | Player or other figure | Team | Date |
| 5 | David Wright | Mets | July 19, 2025 |
| 51 | Ichiro Suzuki$^†$ | Mariners | August 9, 2025 |
| 13 | Billy Wagner$^†$ | Astros | August 16, 2025 |

## Former retired numbers

It is very rare for a team to reissue a retired number, and usually requires a special circumstance, such as the person for whom the number was retired returning to the team in a player, coach or manager role. Harold Baines provides one example of this when he returned to the White Sox multiple times. The White Sox also re-issued Luis Aparicio's number 11, with his permission, to fellow countryman Omar Vizquel in 2010–11.
In cases of franchise relocation, the handling of existing retired numbers is at the discretion of team management. The team may decide to continue honoring the retired numbers (as did the San Francisco Giants), or it may choose to make a "fresh start" and reissue the numbers (as the Washington Nationals have done).
The Cincinnati Reds returned Willard Hershberger's number 5 to circulation two years after his death. Cincinnati later re-retired the number to honor Johnny Bench.
When the Florida Marlins moved to their current stadium, LoanDepot Park, and were rebranded as the Miami Marlins, the number 5, which had been retired for the team's late first president Carl Barger, was returned to circulation because player Logan Morrison requested permission to wear the number to honor his father.
| No. | Player or other figure | Team | Date |
| 5 | Carl Barger | Marlins | April 5, 1993 |
| 5 | Willard Hershberger | Reds | 1940 |
| 8 | Gary Carter$^†$ | Expos | July 31, 1993 |
| 10 | Rusty Staub | Expos | May 15, 1993 |
| 10 | Andre Dawson$^†$ | Expos | July 6, 1997 |
| 12 | Roberto Alomar$^†$ | Blue Jays | July 31, 2011 |
| 30 | Tim Raines$^†$ | Expos | June 19, 2004 |
* ↑ Placed into circulation in 2012 when the Marlins moved to their new park and decided to honor Barger instead with a plaque at the stadium. The first player to receive the number was Logan Morrison. Barger was the team's first president, but died in December 1992, four months before the team's first game. The Marlins chose to retire #5 because it was the number worn by Barger's favorite player, Joe DiMaggio.
* ↑ The Reds retired Hershberger's #5 after his death in 1940, but returned it to circulation two years later. Cincinnati later re-retired the number 5 for Johnny Bench.
* 1 2 3 4 The Montreal Expos retired numbers in honor of four players (Carter #8, Dawson #10, Staub #10, Raines #30). When the franchise relocated to Washington, D.C., after the 2004 season, the newly christened Washington Nationals chose not to recognize any uniform number retired while in Montreal. On October 18, 2005, the NHL's Montreal Canadiens honored the departed team by raising an Expos commemorative banner listing the retired numbers to the rafters of Montreal's Bell Centre.
* ↑ The Toronto Blue Jays retired Alomar’s #12 on July 31, 2011. However, on April 30, 2021 in light of an investigation of Alomar being in violation of MLB policy after being alleged to have engaged in sexual misconduct in 2014, the Blue Jays removed Alomar's banner and cut ties with him. The number was used again for the first time on July 31, 2023, coincidentally 12 years to the day after it was originally retired, when Jordan Hicks claimed the number after being traded to the team.

## Retired in honor of multiple players

The following numbers have been retired in honor of multiple players:
* Chicago Cubs, #31: retired in 2009 for Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux
* Cincinnati Reds, #5: retired in 1940 for Willard Hershberger who had died by suicide during the season; returned to service in 1942; retired in 1984 for Johnny Bench
* Montreal Expos, #10: retired for Rusty Staub in 1993; ceremony to honor #10 for Andre Dawson was held in 1997
* New York Yankees, #8: retired in 1972 for Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra
* St. Louis Cardinals, #42: retired in 1997 by all teams in MLB for Jackie Robinson; ceremony to honor #42 for Bruce Sutter was held in 2006
* New York Yankees, #42: retired in 1997 by all teams in MLB for Jackie Robinson (players already wearing the number could continue to do so by special arrangement); ceremony to honor #42 for Mariano Rivera was held in 2013
* Oakland Athletics, #34: retired for Rollie Fingers in 1993; ceremony to honor #34 for Dave Stewart was held in 2022.

## Retired by multiple teams

A handful of players who had notable careers for multiple teams have had their numbers retired by each team.
* Frank Robinson's #20 was retired by the Reds, Orioles and the then-Indians.
* Rod Carew's #29 was retired by the Twins and Angels.
* Hank Aaron's #44 was retired by the Braves and Brewers.
* Reggie Jackson had his #9 retired by the Athletics, and his #44 retired by the Yankees.
* Rollie Fingers' #34 was retired by the Athletics and Brewers.
* Carlton Fisk had his #27 retired by the Red Sox, and his #72 retired by the White Sox.
* Greg Maddux's #31 was retired by the Cubs and Braves.
* Nolan Ryan had his #30 retired by the Angels, while his #34 is retired by the Astros and Rangers.
* Wade Boggs's #12 was retired by the then-Devil Rays, and his #26 is retired by the Red Sox.
* Roy Halladay's #32 was retired by the Blue Jays, and his #34 is retired by the Phillies.
* Jackie Robinson’s #42 has been retired by every team in MLB, due to him breaking the color barrier in baseball.
* Gil Hodges' #14 was retired by the Mets and Dodgers.
* Willie Mays' #24 was retired by the Giants and Mets.
Excluding Jackie Robinson, only Frank Robinson and Nolan Ryan have had their number(s) retired by three teams. Managers Casey Stengel and Sparky Anderson have also had numbers retired by two teams. Stengel's #37 was retired by the Yankees and Mets. Anderson's #10 was retired by the Reds, and his #11 was retired by the Tigers.

## Alternative methods of recognition

A number of teams have formal or informal policies of only retiring numbers of players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, although there is no league-wide uniformity and teams sometimes break their own guidelines. As an alternative to retiring numbers, many teams have established other means of honoring former players, such as team-specific Halls of Fame (Angels, Astros, Athletics, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Guardians, Mariners, Mets, Orioles, Padres, Rangers, Reds, Red Sox, and Twins) or Walls of Fame (Giants and Phillies), a Ring of Honor (Nationals) or Level of Excellence (Blue Jays). In addition, several teams have kept certain numbers out of circulation since a player left, but have not formally retired them. The Rangers introduced a third means of honoring former players while preparing to open their current home of Globe Life Field in 2020. In December 2019, a few months before the park's opening, the team announced that all of its retired numbers would be incorporated into the park's posted dimensions.
The Montreal Expos franchise retired jerseys in honor of four players, but returned the numbers to use upon moving to Washington, D.C., to begin play as the Washington Nationals in 2005, becoming the only MLB team with no retired numbers other than Jackie Robinson's No. 42. In 2010, the Nationals established a "Ring of Honor" which as of 2022 includes three of those Expos players (Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines), along with the Expos' last and Nationals' first manager, Frank Robinson; Nationals players Iván Rodríguez, Jayson Werth, and Ryan Zimmerman; original Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Joe Cronin, Rick Ferrell, Goose Goslin, Bucky Harris, Walter Johnson, Heinie Manush, Sam Rice, Harmon Killebrew, and Early Wynn, as well as owner Clark Griffith; expansion Washington Senators (1961–1971) player Frank Howard; and Homestead Grays players Cool Papa Bell, Ray Brown, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Cumberland Posey, and Jud Wilson. The Nationals retired their first number, Ryan Zimmerman's No. 11, on June 18, 2022.
The Miami Marlins had previously retired #5 in honor of their first team president, the late Carl Barger, but returned it to use entering the 2012 season when they relocated to the venue now known as LoanDepot Park. As of 2024, they are the only franchise with no retired numbers (aside from Jackie Robinson's).
In August 2024, the Minnesota Twins retired the letter W as a tribute to their origin as the Washington Senators during the 100-year anniversary of the Senators' World Series-winning team.

### Numbers kept out of circulation

Some teams have not formally retired certain numbers, but nonetheless kept them out of circulation. For example, the Los Angeles Dodgers' current policy is only to retire the numbers of longtime club members if they are inducted into the Hall of Fame; the lone exception was longtime Dodger player and coach Jim Gilliam, whose #19 was retired when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage during the Dodgers' 1978 postseason run. Nevertheless, the Dodgers informally kept Fernando Valenzuela's #34 out of circulation since he last played for the team in 1990. In 2023, the Dodgers announced that his number would be officially retired.
The San Francisco Giants are currently keeping four numbers; Tim Lincecum's #55, Buster Posey's #28, Madison Bumgarner's #40, and former manager Bruce Bochy's #15, out of circulation.
The New York Yankees have not issued CC Sabathia's #52 since he retired in 2019.
The Cincinnati Reds took Joey Votto's #19 out of circulation after his departure from the team in 2023 and official retirement in 2024.
The Miami Marlins have not issued José Fernández’s #16 since his death in September 2016.
The Milwaukee Brewers have not issued Jim Gantner’s #17 or Ryan Braun's #8 since their retirements.
The Toronto Blue Jays have not issued Jose Bautista's #19 since his departure from the team in 2017, except in 2019 when Alen Hanson briefly wore the number.
The Chicago Cubs have not issued Anthony Rizzo's #44 since his trade from the team in 2021.
The Kansas City Royals have not issued Alex Gordon's #4 since his retirement in 2020.
The Colorado Rockies have not issued Nolan Arenado's #28 since his trade from the team in 2021.
The Seattle Mariners have kept Jay Buhner's #19 out of circulation since his retirement in 2001, as well as #51 for both Randy Johnson and Ichiro Suzuki.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have not issued Paul Goldschmidt's #44 since his trade from the team in 2018.
The Chicago White Sox have not issued hitting coach Charley Lau's #6 since his death in 1984, except to Lau disciple Walt Hriniak, who was the White Sox hitting coach from 1989-1995. The White Sox have also not issued Ozzie Guillén's #13 since leaving as the team's manager in 2011.
On Opening Day of the 2012 season, the New York Mets unveiled a memorial "Kid 8" logo to honor the late Gary Carter. Although no Met has worn the number 8 since Carter's election to the Hall of Fame, it is not retired. The Mets have also not issued #5 since the retirement of David Wright or #48 since the departure of Jacob deGrom.
The Baltimore Orioles have not re-issued numbers 7, 44, and 46 since the passing of Cal Ripken Sr., Elrod Hendricks, and Mike Flanagan respectively. The team has placed a moratorium on the three numbers in their honors. However, in 2024, Craig Kimbrel became the first Oriole to wear 46 since Flanagan's death in 2011, and Jackson Holliday was given permission by the Ripken family to wear #7 ahead of his major league debut in April.
The Boston Red Sox have not re-issued uniform numbers 21 (Roger Clemens), 33 (Jason Varitek) and 49 (Tim Wakefield) since those players left the Red Sox or ended their careers. Varitek later reclaimed #33 upon joining the Red Sox coaching staff.
The St. Louis Cardinals did not reissue Albert Pujols's #5 from his first departure after the 2011 season until his return to the team in 2022. Since both his and Yadier Molina's retirements at the end of that season, the Cardinals have again kept the number out of circulation. Adam Wainwright's #50 was also taken out of circulation after his 2023 retirement.
After Darryl Kile's death in 2002, the teams he played for (Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, and St. Louis Cardinals) took his #57 out of circulation. The Cardinals first re-issued the number in 2021 Spring Training, to pitcher Zack Thompson. Fan favorite Willie McGee has not had his #51 issued since he retired in 1999 except for when Bud Smith wore the number in 2001.
The Philadelphia Phillies are currently keeping three numbers; Chase Utley's #26, Jimmy Rollins' #11, and Ryan Howard's #6, out of circulation.
The Colorado Rockies have not re-issued Carlos Gonzalez's #5 since he left the team after 2018.
The Tampa Bay Rays have not re-issued Evan Longoria's #3 since he left the team after 2017.
The Washington Nationals have not issued Max Scherzer's #31 since his trade from the team in 2021, or Stephen Strasburg's #37 since his final appearance in 2022 and then official retirement in 2024.
The Detroit Tigers have not re-issued Justin Verlander's #35 since his trade to the Astros in 2017. The Tigers also took Miguel Cabrera's #24 out of circulation following his 2023 retirement.
The Los Angeles Angels have not re-issued Nick Adenhart's #34, after he was killed in a car accident on April 9, 2009, except for Noah Syndergaard, who requested and received the number when he joined the team in 2022. He stated that he wanted to wear his old Mets’ number as a tribute to Adenhart. The Angels have also not re-issued Tim Salmon's #15 since his retirement at the end of the 2006 season or Tyler Skaggs #45 since he died on July 1, 2019, although it is not in use anymore. For the remainder of the 2019 season, they put 45 on the mound instead of the sponsor.

## Number retired by Major League Baseball

Normally the individual clubs are responsible for retiring numbers. On April 15, 1997, Major League Baseball took the unusual move of retiring a number for all teams. On the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the baseball color line, his number 42 was retired throughout the majors, at the order of Commissioner Bud Selig. This meant that no future player on any major league team could wear number 42, although players wearing #42 at the time were allowed to continue wearing it (Mariano Rivera was the last active player to be grandfathered in, retiring after the 2013 season).
Starting in the 2007 season, the 60th anniversary of Robinson's Major League debut, players and coaches have all worn the number 42 as a tribute to Robinson on Jackie Robinson Day, April 15.
There is a lobby to have uniform #21 retired in all of baseball to honor Roberto Clemente.

## Similar honors
### Players who pre-date uniform numbers

Four teams have honored players who played before the advent of uniform numbers by placing their names among those of players whose numbers have been retired:
* Philadelphia Phillies: Grover Cleveland Alexander, Chuck Klein; both are denoted with a stylized "P" at Citizens Bank Park (Klein had various numbers in the later years of his career, but never wore one consistently)
* Detroit Tigers: Ty Cobb, Mickey Cochrane, Sam Crawford, Harry Heilmann, Hughie Jennings, George Kell, Heinie Manush; Cobb's name is displayed on the left-field wall of Comerica Park along with the players whose numbers have been retired; the others have their names displayed on the right-field wall (Cochrane actually wore #3 for the Tigers, and Kell wore three different numbers, but the Tigers have not retired these numbers), along with former manager Sparky Anderson. The Tigers eventually retired #3, but that was for Alan Trammell, not Cochrane.
* San Francisco (New York) Giants: Christy Mathewson and John McGraw; both are denoted with "NY" and their names at Oracle Park
* St. Louis Cardinals: Rogers Hornsby, denoted with an "SL" and his name at Busch Stadium

### Broadcasters

* Bob Murphy and Ralph Kiner – New York Mets; The radio booth at both Shea Stadium and Citi Field are named for the beloved, late Murphy. The television booth at Citi Field is named for Kiner, who continued to broadcast some home games for the Mets until his death in early 2014. In addition, a special memorial logo honoring Kiner, depicting a microphone along with his name and the years 1922–2014, was displayed at Citi Field on the left field wall adjacent to, but not as a part of, the Mets' retired numbers, from 2014 to 2016. In the 2016 Mets yearbook, a sidebar in an article on Mike Piazza's upcoming number retirement implies that Kiner has been "retired" a la William A. Shea. This was reinforced when the Mets' retired numbers were moved to the roof facade during the 2016 season to accommodate Mike Piazza's #31; Kiner's "number" was placed adjacent to the Shea and Jackie Robinson numbers, no longer separated from the others.
* Jack Buck – St. Louis Cardinals; honored with a drawing of a microphone on the wall with the retired numbers.
* Lon Simmons, Russ Hodges, and Jon Miller – San Francisco Giants; honored with stylized old-style radio microphone displayed in place of a number.
* Marty Brennaman, Waite Hoyt, and Joe Nuxhall – Cincinnati Reds; honored with microphones by the broadcast booth.
* Jerry Coleman – San Diego Padres; a "star on the wall" in reference to his trademark phrase "You can hang a star on that one!" The star is painted in gold on the front of the press box down the right field line, accompanied by Coleman's name in white. Upon Coleman's death in 2014, the broadcast booth at Petco Park was named in his honor.
* Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn – Philadelphia Phillies; At Citizens Bank Park, the restaurant built into the base of the main scoreboard is named "Harry the K's" in Kalas's honor. After Kalas's death, the Phillies' TV-broadcast booth was renamed "The Harry Kalas Broadcast Booth". It is directly next to the radio-broadcast booth, which is named "The Richie 'Whitey' Ashburn Broadcast Booth". They both also have statues at Citizens Bank Park (though Ashburn is in uniform for his statue).
* Ernie Harwell – Detroit Tigers; honored with his name alongside the retired players on the Left-Centerfield Brick wall in Comerica Park and a statue & portrait at the stadium's front entrance. Honored with the Media Center named after him also.
* Bob Uecker – "50 Years in Baseball" along with Uecker's name is next to the Brewers retired numbers at American Family Field.
* Tom Cheek – Toronto Blue Jays; honored with a spot on the Rogers Centre's "Level of Excellence" bearing his name and, in place of a jersey number, 4,306 – his streak of consecutive regular-season broadcasts.
* Harry Caray and Jack Brickhouse – Chicago Cubs: Caray is remembered inside and outside of Wrigley Field. A statue of him leading the crowd in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" is near the bleacher entrance (originally at the corner of Addison Street and Sheffield Avenue), and a caricature of him adorns his former WGN-TV broadcast booth. Brickhouse's catch phrase, "Hey hey!" is memorialized in large red letters on each foul pole. (Brickhouse also has a statue on Michigan Avenue.)
* Dave Niehaus – Seattle Mariners; the press box at T-Mobile Park was renamed the "Dave Niehaus Media Center" on April 8, 2011, prior to the Mariners' home opener against the Cleveland Indians. In addition, a part of First Avenue NW outside the stadium was renamed Dave Niehaus Way, and the wall in deep right-center field also has a microphone with a Dave Niehaus graphic. There is the Dave Niehaus Statue on the Main Concourse at Section 105.
* Vin Scully – Los Angeles Dodgers; in 2001, the Dodgers honored Scully by naming the press box at Dodger Stadium the "Vin Scully Press Box". However, on January 29, 2016, the Los Angeles City Council in a unanimous vote, renamed Elysian Park Avenue to Vin Scully Avenue, changing the address of Dodger Stadium to 1000 Vin Scully Ave.
* Arch McDonald and Bob Wolff - Washington Senators: MacDonald and Wolff's names are on the Washington Nationals' Ring of Honor at Nationals Park.
* Bill King – Oakland Athletics; The Athletics named their broadcast facilities the "Bill King Broadcast Booth" after King's death in 2005.

### Owners and contributors

* The initials of the late San Diego Padres owner Ray Kroc are painted in gold on the front of the pressbox down the right field line, accompanied by his name in white.
* The initials of the late Boston Red Sox owners Tom and Jean Yawkey are rendered in Morse code and painted in white on the manual scoreboard on Fenway Park's Green Monster.
* Charles Bronfman was inducted into the Expos Hall of Fame as its inaugural member in 1993, and a circular patch placed on the right field wall with his name, the number 83, which he used to wear during spring training, and the words "FONDATEUR / FOUNDER".
* On April 8, 2008, the final opening day at Shea Stadium, the New York Mets unveiled a "Shea" logo which was displayed on the left-field fence next to the team's retired numbers. The stadium was named for William Shea, a prominent lawyer who was responsible for the return of National League baseball to New York.
* Walter A. Haas Jr., honorary jersey retired (with stylized Old English "A" in place of a number) in 1995, located in right field. Owner of the Oakland Athletics from 1980 until 1995. Haas purchased the team from Charles O. Finley in 1980, saving the team from potentially moving out of the area.
* At the start of the 2007 season, the Kansas City Royals designated Seat #9 in Section 127, Row C at Kauffman Stadium as the "Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat" in honor of Negro leagues legend and Royals scout Buck O'Neil. During each home game, the Royals honor a fan who exemplifies O'Neil's spirit of humanitarianism and community service by inviting that fan to sit in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat.
* Paul Beeston and Pat Gillick, the Toronto Blue Jays's former president and general manager, respectively, have been inducted into the team's Level of Excellence, alongside the team's retired numbers. In addition, a Baseball Hall of Fame banner for Gillick hangs in the Rogers Centre rafters.
* A statue of former Arlington, Texas mayor Tom Vandergriff is located at Vandergriff Plaza at Globe Life Park alongside those of former Texas Rangers Nolan Ryan and Iván Rodríguez, both of whom had their numbers retired. Vandergriff was responsible for bringing Major League Baseball to the Dallas–Fort Worth area.
* The New York Yankees' spring training facility, George M. Steinbrenner Field is named in honor of late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.
* Walter O'Malley, honorary jersey retired with the "LA" Dodgers logo in place of number in 2024, in the Ring of Honor at Dodger Stadium. Owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1951 to 1979 who moved the team from Brooklyn to the West Coast.

### Umpires

    See: Umpire (baseball) § Numbers retired by the National and American Leagues