View source for Putout

{{Short description|Statistic for a defensive baseball player}}
[[Image:Baseball Play-at-first.jpg|thumb|300px|right|An attempted putout at first base.]]
In [[baseball statistics]], a '''putout''' ('''PO''') is awarded to a defensive player who (generally while in secure possession of the ball) records an [[out (baseball)|out]] by one of the following methods:

* [[tag play|Tagging]] a runner with the ball when the runner is not touching a base (a [[tag out|tagout]])
* Catching a batted ball on the fly (a [[flyout]])
* Retrieving a batted ball hit along the ground which a defensive player subsequently throws to another defensive player who then catches it- the latter simultaneously occupying a base, or by subsequently touching a base while in possession of the ball- thus recording an out of a batter or runner, before the batter, or non-batting runner, can touch the base to which he is compelled to advance (a [[Force play|force out]]- referred to as a [[Ground out (baseball)|groundout]] if the player who has been put out is the [[batter-runner]] attempting to reach first base- 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]]
* Catching a [[strikeout|third strike]] (a [[strikeout]])
* Being positioned closest to a runner called out for [[Interference (baseball)|interference]]

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 (baseball)|box score]].

While the abbreviation for putout is "PO",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/glossary/standard-stats/putout |title=Putout (PO) |website=MLB.com |accessdate=March 19, 2023}}</ref> [[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, "[[Travis Fryman|Fryman]] struck out (catcher to first)"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1996/B09180DET1996.htm |title=Boston Red Sox 4, Detroit Tigers 0 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date= September 18, 1996 |accessdate=March 19, 2023}}</ref> 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]] rather than the [[catcher]].

==All-time records==
[[File:JakeBeckley.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.8|[[Jake Beckley]], all-time career leader in putouts among major-league players]]
''Content in this section has been updated through completion of the 2022 major-league season.''

===Career records===
{{main|List of Major League Baseball career putouts leaders}}
# [[Jake Beckley]]: 23,767 (1888–1907)
# [[Cap Anson]]: 22,572 (1871–1897)
# [[Ed Konetchy]]: 21,378 (1907–1921)
# [[Eddie Murray]]: 21,265 (1977–1997)
# [[Charlie Grimm]]: 20,722 (1916–1936)
# [[Stuffy McInnis]]: 20,120 (1909–1927)
# [[Mickey Vernon]]: 19,819 (1939–1960)
# [[Jake Daubert]]: 19,634 (1910–1924)
# [[Lou Gehrig]]: 19,525 (1923–1939)
# [[Joe Kuhel]]: 19,386 (1930–1947)
Note: each of the above players was primarily a first baseman.<br>
Note: entering the {{mlby|2023}} season, [[Joey Votto]] has the most putouts among active MLB players, with 14,440.<br>
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_tf_career.shtml |title=Career Leaders & Records for Putouts |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

===Single season records===
The most putouts recorded by any player in a single major-league season is 1,846 by [[Jiggs Donahue]], a [[first baseman]] with the [[1907 Chicago White Sox season|1907 Chicago White Sox]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_tf_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

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{{col-break|width=50%}}
====Pitchers====
{{ubl
|1. [[Dave Foutz]]: 57 (1886)
|2. [[Tony Mullane]]: 54 (1882)
|3. [[George Bradley]]: 50 (1876)
|3. [[Guy Hecker]]: 50 (1884)
|5. [[Mike Boddicker]]: 49 (1984)
|6. [[Larry Corcoran]]: 47 (1884)
|7. [[Ted Breitenstein]]: 46 (1895)
|8. [[Al Spalding]]: 45 (1876)
|9. [[Jim Devlin]]: 44 (1876)
|9. [[Dave Foutz]]: 44 (1887)
|9. [[Bill Hutchison (baseball)|Bill Hutchison]]: 44 (1890)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_p_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as P |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

====Catchers====
{{ubl
|1. [[Yasmani Grandal]]: 1,169 (Milwaukee Brewers, 2019)
|2. [[J. T. Realmuto]]: 1,151 (Philadelphia Phillies, 2022)
|3. [[Christian Vázquez]]: 1,136 (Boston Red Sox, 2021)
|4. [[Johnny Edwards (baseball)|Johnny Edwards]]: 1,135 (Houston Astros, 1969)
|5. [[Yasmani Grandal]]: 1,114 (Los Angeles Dodgers, 2018)
|6. [[Yadier Molina]]: 1,113 (St. Louis Cardinals, 2016)
|7. [[Will Smith (catcher)|Will Smith]]: 1101 (Los Angeles Dodgers, 2021)
|8. [[J. T. Realmuto]]: 1,098 (Philadelphia Phillies, 2019)
|9. [[Wilson Ramos]]: 1,094 (Washington Nationals, 2016)
|10. [[Yasmani Grandal]]: 1,089 (Los Angeles Dodgers, 2017)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_c_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as C |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

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 {{mlby|2020}} season), consistent with the increase in total strikeouts per MLB season (for example; 42,104 in 2021 compared to 34,489 in 2011).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/histrk4.shtml |title=MLB League Totals for Strikeouts |website=[[Baseball Almanac]] |accessdate=March 19, 2023}}</ref>

====First basemen====
{{ubl
|1. [[Jiggs Donahue]]: 1,846 (1907)
|2. [[George Kelly (baseball)|George Kelly]]: 1,759 (1920)
|3. [[Phil Todt]]: 1,755 (1926)
|4. [[Wally Pipp]]: 1,710 (1926)
|5. [[Jiggs Donahue]]: 1,697 (1906)
|6. [[Candy LaChance]]: 1,691 (1904)
|7. [[Tom Jones (baseball player)|Tom Jones]]: 1,687 (1907)
|8. [[Ernie Banks]]: 1,682 (1965)
|9. [[Wally Pipp]]: 1,667 (1922)
|10. [[Lou Gehrig]]: 1,662 (1927)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_1b_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as 1B |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

====Second basemen====
{{ubl
|1. [[Bid McPhee]]: 529 (1886)
|2. [[Bobby Grich]]: 484 (1974)
|3. [[Bucky Harris]]: 483 (1922)
|4. [[Nellie Fox]]: 478 (1956)
|5. [[Lou Bierbauer]]: 472 (1889)
|6. [[Billy Herman]]: 466 (1933)
|7. [[Bill Wambsganss]]: 463 (1924)
|8. [[Cub Stricker]]: 461 (1887)
|9. [[Buddy Myer]]: 460 (1935)
|10. [[Bill Sweeney (infielder)|Bill Sweeney]]: 459 (1912)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_2b_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as 2B |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>
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====Third basemen====
{{ubl
|1. [[Denny Lyons]]: 255 (Philadelphia Athletics, 1887)
|2. [[Jimmy Collins]]: 251 (Boston Beaneaters [NL], 1900)
|2. [[Jimmy Williams (second baseman)|Jimmy Williams]]: 251 (Pittsburgh Pirates, 1899)
|4. [[Jimmy Collins]]: 243 (Boston Beaneaters [NL], 1898)
|4. [[Willie Kamm]]: 243 (Chicago White Sox, 1928)
|6. [[Willie Kamm]]: 236 (Chicago White Sox, 1927)
|7. [[Home Run Baker]]: 233 (Philadelphia Athletics, 1913)
|8. [[Bill Coughlin]]: 232 (Washington Senators, 1901)
|9. [[Ernie Courtney]]: 229 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1905)
|10. [[Jimmy Austin]]: 228 (St. Louis Browns, 1911)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_3b_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as 3B |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

====Shortstops====
{{ubl
|1. [[Donie Bush]]: 425 (Detroit Tigers, 1914)
|1. [[Hughie Jennings]]: 425 (Baltimore Orioles [NL], 1895)
|3. [[Joe Cassidy (baseball)|Joe Cassidy]]: 408 (Washington Senators, 1905)
|4. [[Rabbit Maranville]]: 407 (Boston Braves, 1914)
|5. [[Dave Bancroft]]: 405 (New York Giants, 1922)
|5. [[Eddie Miller (baseball infielder)|Eddie Miller]]: 405 (Boston Braves, 1940)
|7. [[Monte Cross]]: 404 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1898)
|8. [[Dave Bancroft]]: 396 (New York Giants, 1921)
|9. [[Mickey Doolan]]: 395 (Philadelphia Phillies, 1906)
|10. [[Buck Weaver]]: 392 (Chicago White Sox, 1913)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_ss_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as SS |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

====Left fielders====
{{ubl
|1. [[Joe Vosmik]]: 432 (1932)
|2. [[Rickey Henderson]]: 412 (1980)
|3. [[Gil Coan]]: 379 (1951)
|4. [[Ben Oglivie]]: 377 (1980)
|5. [[Bobby Veach]]: 370 (1921)
|5. [[Gary Ward (outfielder)|Gary Ward]]: 370 (1983)
|7. [[Elmer Valo]]: 368 (1949)
|8. [[Barry Bonds]]: 366 (1989)
|8. [[Bobby Veach]]: 366 (1922)
|10: [[Bibb Falk]]: 364 (1927)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_lf_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as LF |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

====Center fielders====
{{ubl
|1. [[Richie Ashburn]]: 532 (1951)
|2. [[Taylor Douthit]]: 518 (1928)
|3. [[Chet Lemon]]: 509 (1977)
|4. [[Richie Ashburn]]: 501 (1949)
|4. [[Dwayne Murphy]]: 501 (1980)
|6. [[Richie Ashburn]]: 500 (1956)
|7. [[Richie Ashburn]]: 499 (1957)
|8. [[Richie Ashburn]]: 494 (1958)
|9. [[Jim Busby]]: 492 (1954)
|9. [[Andruw Jones]]: 492 (1999)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_cf_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as CF |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>

====Right fielders====
{{ubl
|1. [[Dave Parker]]: 381 (1977)
|1. [[Ichiro Suzuki]]: 381 (2005)
|3. [[Babe Herman]]: 380 (1932)
|4. [[Austin Kearns]]: 374 (2007)
|4. [[Hunter Pence]]: 374 (2013)
|6. [[Ichiro Suzuki]]: 372 (2004)
|7. [[Mookie Betts]]: 366 (2017)
|7. [[Dave Winfield]]: 366 (1977)
|9. [[Jason Heyward]]: 365 (2014)
|10. [[Jermaine Dye]]: 362 (1999)
}}
Source:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/PO_rf_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Putouts as RF |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |accessdate=March 18, 2023}}</ref>
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==See also==
* [[Assist (baseball)]]

==References==
<references />

{{Baseball statistics}}
{{Baseball}}

[[Category:Fielding statistics]]