List of Major League Baseball career assists as a center fielder leaders
In baseball, an assist (denoted by A) is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is credited to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball (after it has been hit by the batter) before the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional. For example, if a ball strikes a player's leg and bounces off him to another fielder, who tags the baserunner, the first player is credited with an assist. A fielder can receive a maximum of one assist per out recorded. An assist is also credited if a putout would have occurred, had another fielder not committed an error. For example, a shortstop might field a ground ball cleanly, but the first baseman might drop his throw. In this case, an error would be charged to the first baseman, and the shortstop would be credited with an assist.
A center fielder (CF) is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the center fielder is assigned the number 8.
Tris Speaker[1][2][3] is the all-time leader in career assists as an center fielder with 448. Speaker is the only center fielder with more than 400 career assists.
Key[]
Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career assists. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2021 As) | Number of recorded assists during the 2021 Major League Baseball season. |
A | Total career assists. |
* | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Bold | Denotes active player.[a] |
List[]
- Stats updated as of the end of the 2021 season.
Rank | Player (2021 As) | A as CF |
---|---|---|
1 | Tris Speaker * | 448 |
2 | Ty Cobb * | 275 |
3 | Clyde Milan | 244 |
4 | Max Carey * | 215 |
5 | Edd Roush * | 207 |
6 | Dode Paskert | 206 |
7 | Willie Mays * | 188 |
8 | Doc Cramer | 155 |
9 | Richie Ashburn * | 154 |
10 | Cy Williams | 151 |
11 | Cy Seymour | 149 |
12 | Hi Myers | 148 |
13 | Dom DiMaggio | 143 |
14 | Ken Griffey Jr. * | 141 |
15 | Sam West | 139 |
16 | Kenny Lofton | 138 |
17 | Ginger Beaumont | 136 |
18 | Roy Thomas | 135 |
Lloyd Waner * | 135 | |
20 | Willie Davis | 134 |
21 | Joe DiMaggio * | 133 |
22 | Fielder Jones | 129 |
23 | Steve Finley | 127 |
24 | Vince DiMaggio | 123 |
25 | Tommy Leach | 122 |
26 | Happy Felsch | 119 |
27 | Amos Otis | 118 |
28 | Joe Birmingham | 117 |
29 | Jim Edmonds | 116 |
Rebel Oakes | 116 | |
31 | Amos Strunk | 115 |
32 | Vada Pinson | 114 |
33 | Kirby Puckett * | 110 |
34 | Benny Kauff | 109 |
35 | Earl Averill * | 108 |
Carlos Beltrán | 108 | |
Fred Snodgrass | 108 | |
38 | Brett Butler | 106 |
Curt Flood | 106 | |
40 | Paul Blair | 97 |
Mickey Mantle * | 96 | |
42 | Jimmy Barrett | 101 |
Andruw Jones | 101 | |
44 | Ray Powell | 100 |
45 | Terry Moore | 99 |
Duke Snider * | 99 | |
Tilly Walker | 99 | |
48 | Bill Bruton | 98 |
49 | Adam Jones | 96 |
Fred Lynn | 96 |
Rank | Player (2021 As) | A as CF |
---|---|---|
Bill Virdon | 96 | |
52 | Nemo Leibold | 92 |
Bill Tuttle | 92 | |
54 | Sam Chapman | 91 |
Ira Flagstead | 91 | |
Garry Maddox | 91 | |
57 | Del Unser | 90 |
58 | Johnny Bates | 89 |
Marquis Grissom | 89 | |
60 | Mickey Rivers | 88 |
61 | Cesar Cedeno | 87 |
Johnny Mostil | 87 | |
63 | Mike Kreevich | 86 |
Willie McGee | 86 | |
65 | Chet Lemon | 85 |
66 | Solly Hofman | 84 |
67 | Danny Hoffman | 83 |
68 | Burt Shotton | 82 |
Devon White | 82 | |
70 | Omar Moreno | 81 |
Jigger Statz | 81 | |
72 | Ping Bodie | 79 |
Torii Hunter | 79 | |
Homer Smoot | 79 | |
75 | Chick Stahl | 78 |
Jimmy Wynn | 78 | |
77 | Dave Henderson | 77 |
Bobby Thomson | 77 | |
79 | Larry Doby * | 76 |
Dwayne Murphy | 76 | |
Sam Rice * | 76 | |
Stan Spence | 76 | |
83 | Johnny Groth | 75 |
Andy Van Slyke | 75 | |
85 | Baby Doll Jacobson | 74 |
Andy Pafko | 74 | |
Fred Schulte | 74 | |
88 | Rick Monday | 73 |
89 | Ethan Allen | 72 |
Mike Cameron | 72 | |
Emmet Heidrick | 72 | |
92 | B.J. Upton | 71 |
93 | Andre Dawson * | 70 |
Lance Johnson | 70 | |
95 | Oscar Charleston * | 69 |
Hack Wilson * | 69 | |
97 | Mark Kotsay | 68 |
Jack Smith | 68 | |
99 | Ron LeFlore | 66 |
100 | Earle Combs * | 65 |
Notes[]
- ^ A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.
References[]
- ^ "Tris Speaker Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ Jensen, Don. "Tris Speaker Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
- ^ "Tris Speaker Hall of Fame Profile". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
External links[]
- "Career Leaders & Records for Assists as CF (s.1901)". Baseball-Reference.com.
- Major League Baseball statistics
- Major League Baseball lists