In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is a situation in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided that (in the plate umpire's judgment) he made an honest effort to avoid the pitch, although failure to do so is rarely called by an umpire. Being hit by a pitch is often caused by a batter standing too close to, or "crowding", home plate.
This is a list of the top 100 Major League Baseball pitchers who have the most hit batsmen of all time.
Gus Weyhing (277)[1][2] holds the dubious record for most hit batsmen in a career. Chick Fraser (219),[3] Pink Hawley (210),[4] and Walter Johnson (205)[5] are the only other pitchers to hit 200 or more batters in their careers.
Key
editRank | Rank amongst leaders in career hit batsmen. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2025 HB) | Number of batters hit during the 2025 Major League Baseball season. |
HB | Total career batters hit |
* | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Bold | Denotes active player. (HB in previous season)[note 1] |
List
edit- Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 season.
Rank | Player (2025 HB) | HB |
---|---|---|
1 | Gus Weyhing | 277 |
2 | Chick Fraser | 219 |
3 | Pink Hawley | 210 |
4 | Walter Johnson* | 205 |
5 | Randy Johnson* | 190 |
Eddie Plank* | 190 | |
7 | Charlie Morton (0) | 186 |
Tim Wakefield | 186 | |
9 | Tony Mullane | 185 |
10 | Joe McGinnity* | 179 |
11 | Charlie Hough | 174 |
12 | Clark Griffith* | 171 |
13 | Cy Young* | 161 |
14 | Jim Bunning* | 160 |
15 | Roger Clemens | 159 |
16 | Nolan Ryan* | 158 |
17 | Vic Willis* | 156 |
18 | Bert Blyleven* | 155 |
Jamey Wright | 155 | |
20 | Don Drysdale* | 154 |
21 | Bert Cunningham | 148 |
Adonis Terry | 148 | |
23 | Silver King | 146 |
Jamie Moyer | 146 | |
25 | Win Mercer | 144 |
26 | A. J. Burnett | 143 |
27 | Frank Foreman | 142 |
28 | Ed Doheny | 141 |
Pedro Martínez* | 141 | |
30 | Kevin Brown | 139 |
Red Ehret | 139 | |
32 | Chan Ho Park | 138 |
33 | Howard Ehmke | 137 |
Greg Maddux* | 137 | |
35 | Phil Knell | 136 |
36 | John Lackey | 133 |
37 | Matt Kilroy | 131 |
George Mullin | 130 | |
Jesse Tannehill | 130 | |
40 | Kid Nichols* | 129 |
Dave Stieb | 129 | |
Frank Tanana | 129 | |
43 | Kenny Rogers | 127 |
44 | Jack Taylor | 126 |
45 | Kid Carsey | 125 |
Willie Sudhoff | 125 | |
47 | Tim Hudson | 124 |
Jeff Weaver | 124 | |
49 | Mark Baldwin | 123 |
Phil Niekro* | 123 |
Rank | Player (2025 HB) | HB |
---|---|---|
CC Sabathia | 123 | |
52 | Jim Kaat* | 122 |
Dennis Martínez | 122 | |
54 | Hooks Dauss | 121 |
55 | Johnny Cueto (0) | 120 |
Jack Powell | 120 | |
Doc White | 120 | |
58 | Chris Sale (0) | 119 |
59 | Orel Hershiser | 117 |
Darryl Kile | 117 | |
Al Leiter | 117 | |
62 | Justin Verlander (0) | 115 |
Rube Waddell* | 115 | |
64 | Jack Warhop | 114 |
65 | Ice Box Chamberlain | 113 |
Jack Chesbro* | 113 | |
Red Donahue | 113 | |
George Uhle | 113 | |
69 | Amos Rusie* | 112 |
Aaron Sele | 112 | |
Max Scherzer (0) | 112 | |
72 | Pedro Astacio | 111 |
73 | Vicente Padilla | 109 |
74 | Gaylord Perry* | 108 |
Billy Rhines | 108 | |
76 | Ed Reulbach | 107 |
77 | David Cone | 106 |
Earl Moore | 106 | |
79 | Bronson Arroyo | 105 |
Félix Hernández | 105 | |
Jim Lonborg | 105 | |
Jeff Pfeffer | 105 | |
Ed Willett | 105 | |
84 | Barney Pelty | 104 |
Ervin Santana | 104 | |
86 | Scott Erickson | 103 |
Red Faber* | 103 | |
Randy Wolf | 103 | |
89 | Chief Bender* | 102 |
Bob Gibson* | 102 | |
Tom Hughes | 102 | |
Carlos Zambrano | 102 | |
93 | Frank Dwyer | 101 |
Burleigh Grimes* | 101 | |
Earl Whitehill | 101 | |
96 | Wilbur Cooper | 100 |
Cole Hamels | 100 | |
98 | Bob Caruthers | 99 |
Jack Stivetts | 99 | |
Kerry Wood | 99 |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or has not played for a full season.
References
edit- ^ "Gus Weyhing Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ Racanelli, John. "Gus Weyhing Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Chick Fraser Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Pink Hawley Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Walter Johnson Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
External links
edit- "Career Leaders & Records for Hit By Pitch". Baseball-Reference.com.