List of Major League Baseball career games played as a center fielder leaders
Games played (most often abbreviated as G or GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested. In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game, are included on a starting lineup card or are announced as ex ante substitutes, whether or not they play,[1] although, in Major League Baseball, the application of this statistic does not extend to consecutive games played streaks. A starting pitcher, then, may be credited with a game played even as he is not credited with a game started or an inning pitched.
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.
Willie Mays[2][3][4] is all-time leader in games played as a center fielder with 2,829 games played in his career. Tris Speaker[5] (2,691), Steve Finley[6] (2,314), Willie Davis[7] (2,239), Ty Cobb[8] (2,194), Ken Griffey Jr.[9] (2,145), and Doc Cramer[10] (2,027) are the only other center fielders to play in over 2,000 games in their careers.
Key[]
Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career games played. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player (2021 Gs) | Number of games played during the 2021 Major League Baseball season. |
G as CF | Total career games played as a center fielder. |
* | 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 Gs) | G as CF |
---|---|---|
1 | Willie Mays * | 2,829 |
2 | Tris Speaker * | 2,691 |
3 | Steve Finley | 2,314 |
4 | Willie Davis | 2,239 |
5 | Ty Cobb * | 2,194 |
6 | Ken Griffey Jr. * | 2,145 |
7 | Doc Cramer | 2,027 |
8 | Brett Butler | 1,987 |
9 | Kenny Lofton | 1,984 |
10 | Richie Ashburn * | 1,980 |
11 | Marquis Grissom | 1,967 |
12 | Bernie Williams | 1,856 |
13 | Amos Otis | 1,825 |
14 | Paul Blair | 1,802 |
15 | Mike Cameron | 1,787 |
16 | Jim Edmonds | 1,768 |
17 | Edd Roush * | 1,754 |
18 | Mickey Mantle * | 1,742 |
19 | Andruw Jones | 1,724 |
20 | Devon White | 1,722 |
21 | Curt Flood | 1,692 |
22 | Vada Pinson | 1,680 |
23 | Lloyd Waner * | 1,660 |
24 | Garry Maddox | 1,658 |
25 | Joe DiMaggio * | 1,634 |
26 | Clyde Milan | 1,631 |
27 | Max Carey * | 1,624 |
28 | Adam Jones | 1,590 |
29 | Duke Snider * | 1,589 |
30 | Fred Lynn | 1,584 |
31 | Carlos Beltrán | 1,572 |
32 | Bill Bruton | 1,548 |
33 | Torii Hunter | 1,523 |
34 | Bill Virdon | 1,506 |
35 | Rick Monday | 1,489 |
36 | Earl Averill * | 1,476 |
37 | Chet Lemon | 1,470 |
38 | Dode Paskert | 1,458 |
39 | Cesar Cedeno | 1,457 |
40 | Sam West | 1,446 |
41 | Kirby Puckett * | 1,432 |
42 | Cy Williams | 1,372 |
43 | Vernon Wells | 1,369 |
44 | Willie Wilson | 1,357 |
45 | Willie McGee | 1,351 |
46 | Larry Doby * | 1,342 |
47 | Dom DiMaggio | 1,337 |
48 | Andrew McCutchen (0) | 1,329 |
49 | Lance Johnson | 1,327 |
50 | Lloyd Moseby | 1,325 |
Rank | Player (2021 Gs) | G as CF |
---|---|---|
51 | Rick Manning | 1,317 |
52 | Brian McRae | 1,307 |
53 | Johnny Damon | 1,298 |
54 | Jim Busby | 1,265 |
55 | Curtis Granderson | 1,254 |
56 | Omar Moreno | 1,221 |
57 | Jimmy Piersall | 1,212 |
58 | Lenny Dykstra | 1,211 |
59 | Juan Pierre | 1,193 |
60 | Carlos Gómez | 1,193 |
61 | Terry Moore | 1,191 |
62 | Jimmy Wynn | 1,185 |
63 | Dwayne Murphy | 1,182 |
64 | Mickey Stanley | 1,175 |
65 | Dexter Fowler (0) | 1,170 |
66 | Michael Bourn | 1,159 |
B.J. Upton | 1,159 | |
68 | Coco Crisp | 1,158 |
69 | Earle Combs * | 1,157 |
Dave Henderson | 1,157 | |
71 | Aaron Rowand | 1,155 |
72 | Ginger Beaumont | 1,150 |
Hi Myers | 1,150 | |
Robin Yount * | 1,150 | |
75 | Bill Tuttle | 1,146 |
76 | Mickey Rivers | 1,144 |
77 | Ray Lankford | 1,138 |
78 | Otis Nixon | 1,137 |
79 | Mike Trout (36) | 1,130 |
80 | Jim Landis | 1,128 |
81 | Gary Pettis | 1,125 |
82 | Andy Van Slyke | 1,119 |
83 | Del Unser | 1,117 |
84 | Jacoby Ellsbury | 1,105 |
85 | Mike Kreevich | 1,096 |
86 | Baby Doll Jacobson | 1,095 |
87 | Roy Thomas | 1,082 |
88 | Cesar Geronimo | 1,079 |
89 | Sam Chapman | 1,076 |
Cy Seymour | 1,076 | |
91 | Vince DiMaggio | 1,070 |
Denard Span | 1,070 | |
93 | Mookie Wilson | 1,067 |
94 | Ellis Burks | 1,061 |
95 | Dale Murphy | 1,041 |
96 | Darren Lewis | 1,032 |
97 | Andre Dawson * | 1,027 |
98 | Fielder Jones | 1,026 |
99 | Billy North | 1,023 |
100 | Austin Jackson | 1,019 |
Notes[]
- ^ A player is considered inactive if he has announced his retirement or not played for a full season.
References[]
- ^ Section 20 of the official scorer guidelines
- ^ "Willie Mays Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ Saccoman, John. "Willie Mays Bio". Society For American Baseball Research. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Willie Mays Hall of Fame Profile". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ "Tris Speaker Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Steve Finley Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Willie Davis Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Ty Cobb Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Ken Griffey Jr. Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ "Doc Cramer Career Stats". Baseball Reference. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
External links[]
- "Career Leaders & Records for Def. Games as CF (s.1901)". Baseball-Reference.com.
- Major League Baseball statistics
- Major League Baseball lists