The long ball has marveled the baseball world since the dawn of time, but it can only generate so much run production if nobody is on base. Driving in runners and the timely nature of it is all mental, as a double with a runner on second base counts for as much as a double with nobody on base: it’s a double.
To an extent, those who drive in the most runs are on playoff teams and therefore tend to have more runners on base to rack up their RBI total. That said, which players have the most RBIs in MLB history?
FOX Sports Research compiled a list of players who have driven in the most runs since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920.
10 players with the most RBIs in MLB history
10. Willie Mays: 1,909
One of the best center fielders in MLB history, Mays was a run-producing machine for the San Francisco Giants, with whom he spent the majority of his career (1951-52 and 1954-72). Mays, a two-time NL MVP, 12-time Gold Glover and 24-time All-Star, led the National League in home runs four times and drove in 100-plus runs in 10 seasons.
9. Eddie Murray: 1,917
Murray was a force to be reckoned with from the jump for the Baltimore Orioles, as the first baseman was the 1977 American League Rookie of the Year Award winner. The switch-hitting star hit for both contact and power and drove in 100-plus runs in six seasons, five of them coming with the Orioles, with whom he won the 1983 World Series. A three-time Gold Glover, three-time Silver Slugger and eight-time All-Star, Murray finished his career with 1,917 RBIs.
8. Jimmie Foxx: 1,922
(Original Caption) 1932: Waist-up shot of Philadelphia Athletics’ Jimmie Foxx in batting stance.
Foxx was a menace from the right side and one of the most powerful hitters the game has ever seen. Winning two batting titles and earning nine All-Star nods, Foxx hit 534 career home runs and drove in 1,922 runs. In doing so, Foxx led the AL in home runs four times, RBIs three times and drove in 100-plus runs in 13 seasons, including 150-plus runs in four seasons. Foxx, a three-time MVP, won two World Series with the Philadelphia Athletics and was an All-Star for both Philadelphia and the Boston Red Sox.
7. Stan Musial: 1,951
Musial was an unbelievable hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals. The outfielder/first baseman was a balanced hitter who seldom struck out. Musial drove in 100-plus runs in 10 seasons, won seven NL batting titles, led the NL in doubles eight times and triples five times. A three-time NL MVP and 24-time All-Star, Musial finished his 22-year career with 1,951 RBIs, with his 3,630 career hits ranking fourth in MLB history.
6. Babe Ruth: 1,983
Yankees’ champion player, Babe Ruth, demonstrating his batting style in 1929.
Ruth hit a lot of home runs — 714 to be exact, which ranks third all-time. “The Babe” drove in 1,983 runs from 1920-on. Mind you, he was primarily an elite starting pitcher for the first five years of his career with the Red Sox. Nevertheless, whether it was with the Red Sox or the New York Yankees, Ruth was an imposing and overwhelming force from the left side of the plate. Ruth led the AL in home runs 12 times, RBIs five times and is first in MLB history with a career .690 slugging percentage.
5. Lou Gehrig: 1,995
Lou Gehrig was a career .340 hitter. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)
Gehrig drove in runs in his sleep. The star first baseman led the AL in RBIs five times and home runs three times, while totaling 100-plus RBIs in 13 seasons and 140 RBIs in nine of those seasons. Helping the Yankees win six World Series across his 17-year career (1923-39), Gehrig was an impact hitter from the left side who won two AL MVP awards. Gehrig hit 493 career home runs and drove in 1,995 runs.
4. Barry Bonds: 1,996
Barry Bonds’ 762 career home runs rank first in MLB history. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB via Getty Images)
When you own the all-time record for home runs, chances are you’re going to rank high on an RBI list. And Bonds, who blasted 762 home runs, indeed drove in 1,996 runs, which ranks fourth all-time. Bonds totaled 100-plus RBIs in 12 seasons, won two NL batting titles, claimed seven NL MVPs and won 12 Silver Slugger awards. And he drew an MLB-record 2,558 walks on top of it, including an MLB-record 688 intentional walks.
3. Alex Rodriguez: 2,086
Alex Rodriguez was an All-Star on three different teams. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Rodriguez provided electricity at the plate. A three-time AL MVP Award winner, the superstar infielder was a hassle from the right side, slugging at an elite rate with three different teams (Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and Yankees). He led the NL in home runs five times, RBIs twice and totaled 100-plus RBIs in 14 seasons. A 10-time Silver Slugger and 14-time All-Star, Rodriguez hit 696 career home runs, which ranks fifth all-time, and drove in 2,086 runs.
2. Albert Pujols: 2,218
Arguably the best first baseman of the 21st century, Pujols was as intimidating in the batter’s box as anybody in his generation. A three-time NL MVP Award winner and six-time Silver Slugger, Pujols totaled 40-plus home runs in seven seasons and 100-plus RBIs in 14 seasons. The impact, power-hitting Pujols, who played for both the Cardinals (2001-11 and 2022) and Los Angeles Angels (2012-21), cranked 703 career home runs, which ranks fourth all-time, and drove in 2,218 runs.
1. Henry Aaron: 2,297
Aaron hit for contact, won three Gold Gloves and helped the Braves win the 1957 World Series. There was nothing that Aaron didn’t do at a great-to-elite level. On the offensive front, he launched 755 home runs, which ranks second in MLB history, drove in an MLB-record 2,297 runs and tallied 3,771 hits, which ranks third. Furthermore, Aaron totaled 100-plus RBIs in 11 seasons and 40-plus home runs in eight seasons.
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