baseball statistics Baseball statistics include a variety of metrics used to evaluate player and team performance in the sport of baseball. Because the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and player activity is characteristically distinguishable ind ...

, a putout (PO) is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an

out Out or OUT may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films *Out (1957 film), ''Out'' (1957 film), a documentary short about the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 *Out (1982 film), ''Out'' (1982 film), an American film directed by Eli Hollander *O ...

by one of the following methods: * Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base (a tagout) * Catching a batted or thrown ball and tagging a base to put out a batter or runner (a force out, or if done after a flyout, a doubling off) * Catching a thrown ball and tagging a base to record an out on an

appeal play In baseball, an appeal play occurs when a member of the defensive team calls the attention of an umpire to an infraction that they would otherwise ignore. Appeal play situations A runner shall be called out, after a successful live ball appeal, i ...

* Catching a third strike (a

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...

) * Catching a batted ball on the fly (a flyout) * Being positioned closest to a runner called out for

interference Interference is the act of interfering, invading, or poaching. Interference may also refer to: Communications * Interference (communication), anything which alters, modifies, or disrupts a message * Adjacent-channel interference, caused by extra ...

In a regulation nine-inning game, the winning team will always have a total of 27 putouts, as one putout is awarded for every defensive out made; this is one aspect of proving a box score. While the abbreviation for putout is "PO", baseball scorekeeping typically records the specific manner in which an out was achieved, without explicitly noting which player is awarded the putout for common plays. For example, a strikeout is recorded without noting the putout by the catcher, with additional detail only provided as needed. For example, " Fryman struck out (catcher to first)" in a play-by-play summary in reference to an out recorded following an uncaught third strike, which indicates the putout was credited to the

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

rather than the

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their 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 this primary duty, the catc ...

All-time records

''Content in this section has been updated through completion of the 2022 major-league season.''

Career records

# Jake Beckley: 23,767 (1888–1907) #

Cap Anson Adrian Constantine Anson (April 17, 1852 – April 14, 1922), nicknamed "Cap" (for "Captain"), "Pop", and "Baby" (early in his career) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman. Including his time in the National Association ...

: 22,572 (1871–1897) # Ed Konetchy: 21,378 (1907–1921) #

Eddie Murray Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth ...

: 21,265 (1977–1997) # Charlie Grimm: 20,722 (1916–1936) # Stuffy McInnis: 20,120 (1909–1927) #

Mickey Vernon James Barton "Mickey" Vernon (April 22, 1918 – September 24, 2008) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played for the Washington Senators (1939–1948, 1950–1955), Cleveland Indians (1949–1950, 1958), Boston Red ...

: 19,819 (1939–1960) # Jake Daubert: 19,634 (1910–1924) #

Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig ( ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941), also known as Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig, was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was ...

: 19,525 (1923–1939) # Joe Kuhel: 19,386 (1930–1947) Note: each of the above players was primarily a first baseman.
Note: entering the season, Joey Votto has the most putouts among active MLB players, with 14,440.
Source:

Single season records

The most putouts recorded by any player in a single major-league season is 1,846 by Jiggs Donahue, a

with the 1907 Chicago White Sox.

Pitchers

Source:

Catchers

Source: Note: as the majority of putouts by catchers occur on strikeouts, most single-season putout records for catchers have occurred in recent seasons (excepting the shortened season), consistent with the increase in total strikeouts per MLB season (for example; 42,104 in 2021 compared to 34,489 in 2011).

First basemen

Source:

Second basemen

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Third basemen

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Shortstops

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Left fielders

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Center fielders

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Right fielders

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References

{{Baseball Fielding statistics

All-time records

Career records

Single season records

Pitchers

Catchers

First basemen

Second basemen

Third basemen

Shortstops

Left fielders

Center fielders

Right fielders

See also

References