List of major league players who died while still playing

The following are major league players died while active. The definition of "active" is slightly loose: it includes players who died while active in the minors or in the winter leagues.

Name	Date of death	Last major league game	Cause of death
Reyes Moronta	July 28, 2024	May 24, 2023	Motorcycle crash
Eulogio de la Cruz	March 14, 2021	September 26, 2011	Heart attack
Tyler Skaggs	July 1, 2019	June 29, 2019	Drug overdose
Jose Castillo	December 6, 2018	September 28, 2008	Car crash
Luis Valbuena	December 6, 2018	August 3, 2018	The same car crash
Yordano Ventura	January 22, 2017	September 30, 2016	Car crash
Andy Marte	January 22, 2017	August 6, 2014	Car crash
Jose Fernandez	September 25, 2016	September 20, 2016	Boating accident
Tommy Hanson	November 9, 2015	September 28, 2013	Catastrophic organ failure
Oscar Taveras	October 26, 2014	September 28, 2014	Car crash
Rosman Garcia	December 29, 2011	August 8, 2004	Car crash
Greg Halman	November 21, 2011	August 3, 2011	Murder - stabbed
Jose Lima	May 23, 2010	July 7, 2006	Heart attack
Nick Adenhart	April 9, 2009	April 8, 2009	Car Crash
Geremi González	May 25, 2008	September 26, 2006	Struck by lightning
Joe Kennedy	November 23, 2007	September 29, 2007	Heart attack
Josh Hancock	April 29, 2007	April 28, 2007	Car crash
Cory Lidle	October 11, 2006	October 1, 2006	Plane crash
Mario Encarnacion	October 3, 2005	April 14, 2002	Heart attack
Dernell Stenson	November 5, 2003	September 28, 2003	Murder - gunshot
Steve Bechler	February 17, 2003	September 22, 2002	Heat stroke in spring training
Darryl Kile	June 22, 2002	June 18, 2002	Heart attack while sleeping
Mike Darr Jr.	February 15, 2002	October 7, 2001	Car crash
Miguel Del Toro	October 6, 2001	October 1, 2000	Car crash
Andújar Cedeño	October 28, 2000	September 15, 1996	Car crash
John Leroy	June 25, 2001	September 26, 1997	Heart attack and aneurysm
Ken Robinson	February 28, 1999	September 24, 1997	Car crash
Mike Sharperson	May 26, 1996	July 15, 1995	Car crash
Jose Oliva	December 22, 1997	October 1, 1995	Car crash
Cliff Young	November 4, 1993	July 24, 1993	Car crash
Tim Crews	March 23, 1993	October 3, 1992	Boat crash
Steve Olin	March 22, 1993	October 4, 1992	The same boat crash
Bo Diaz	November 23, 1990	July 9, 1989	Crushed by satellite dish
Donnie Moore	July 18, 1989	August 7, 1988	Suicide
Joe DeSa	December 20, 1986	October 3, 1985	Car crash
Francisco Barrios	April 9, 1982	June 3, 1981	Heart attack
Steve Macko	November 15, 1981	August 6, 1980	Cancer
Thurman Munson	August 2, 1979	August 1, 1979	Plane crash
Lyman Bostock	September 24, 1978	September 23, 1978	Murder - gunshot
Mike Miley	January 7, 1977	October 3, 1976	Car crash
Danny Frisella	January 1, 1977	September 23, 1976	Dune buggy accident
Danny Thompson	December 10, 1976	October 2, 1976	Leukemia
Bob Moose	October 9, 1976	September 25, 1976	Car crash
Don Wilson	January 5, 1975	September 28, 1974	Carbon monoxide poisoning
Roberto Clemente	December 31, 1972	October 3, 1972	Plane crash
Chico Ruiz	February 9, 1972	August 3, 1971	Car crash
Herman Hill	December 17, 1970	October 1, 1970	Drowned
Paul Edmondson	February 13, 1970	September 25, 1969	Car crash
Miguel Fuentes	January 29, 1970	October 2, 1969	Shot
Nestor Chavez	March 16, 1969	September 30, 1967	Plane crash
Walt Bond	September 14, 1967	May 7, 1967	Leukemia
Jay Dahl	June 21, 1965	September 27, 1963	Car crash
Dick Wantz	May 13, 1965	April 13, 1965	Brain tumor
Jim Umbricht	April 8, 1964	September 29, 1963	Melanoma
Ken Hubbs	February 15, 1964	September 29, 1963	Plane crash
Dixie Howell	March 18, 1960	April 26, 1958	Heart attack
Charlie Peete	November 27, 1956	August 16, 1956	Plane crash
Tom Gastall	September 20, 1956	September 19, 1956	Plane crash
Howie Fox	October 9, 1955	September 25, 1954	Stabbed
Harry Agganis	June 27, 1955	June 2, 1955	Pulmonary embolism
Herb Gorman	April 5, 1953	April 19, 1952	Heart attack
Tiny Bonham	September 15, 1949	August 27, 1949	Emergency appendectomy: complications
Clyde Nelson	July 26, 1949	1948	Heart attack
Jake Powell	November 4, 1948	September 30, 1945	Suicide
Woody Crowson	August 14, 1947	April 17, 1945	Bus collision with truck
Josh Gibson	January 20, 1947	1946	Stroke
Chris Hartje	June 26, 1946	September 23, 1939	Burns
Cy Blanton	September 13, 1945	May 6, 1942	Internal hemorrhages and cirrhosis
Porter Moss	July 16, 1944	1944	Gunshot
Joe Brown	September 7, 1942	1942	Car crash
Smoky Owens	September 7, 1942	1942	The same car crash
Al Montgomery	April 26, 1942	September 17, 1941	Car crash
Blanch Moody	October 27, 1940	1940	unknown
Willard Hershberger	August 3, 1940	August 2, 1940	Suicide
Tiny Chaplin	March 25, 1939	September 27, 1936	Car crash
Slim Jones	December 1, 1938	1938	Pneumonia
Clyde Hatter	October 17, 1937	May 10, 1937	Heart attack
Len Koenecke	September 17, 1935	September 15, 1935	Fighting
Pea Ridge Day	March 21, 1934	September 21, 1931	Suicide
Neal Finn	July 7, 1933	June 17, 1933	Ulcer and intestinal obstruction
Frank Warfield	July 24, 1932	1932	Internal hemorrhage
Howard Freigau	July 18, 1932	September 29, 1928	Drowned
Ed Morris	March 3, 1932	September 21, 1931	Stabbed
John Peters	February 21, 1932	September 25, 1922	Heart attack
Chino Smith	January 16, 1932	1931	Yellow fever
Bob McClure	September 6, 1931	1930	Pneumonia
Charley Williams	July 6, 1931	1931	Food poisoning
Willie Bobo	February 22, 1931	1930	Alcohol poisoning
Slim Norris	January 14, 1931	1930	unknown
Pythias Russ	August 9, 1930	1929	Tuberculosis
Bernardo Baró	June 10, 1930	1929	Illness
Hal Carlson	May 28, 1930	May 23, 1930	Stomach ulcers
Gus Sandberg	February 3, 1930	August 8, 1924	Burns
Walt Lerian	October 22, 1929	October 5, 1929	Hit by truck
Roy Meeker	March 25, 1929	September 25, 1926	Heart attack
Denny Williams	March 23, 1929	July 18, 1928	Car crash
Urban Shocker	September 9, 1928	May 30, 1928	Heart illness
Ike McAuley	April 6, 1928	May 30, 1925	Pneumonia
Rube Chambers	February 7, 1928	1927	Shot
Marv Goodwin	October 21, 1925	October 4, 1925	Plane crash
Emil Huhn	September 25, 1925	June 30, 1917	Car crash
Jake Daubert	October 9, 1924	September 20, 1924	Appendectomy
Henry Blackmon	August 8, 1924	1924	Liver disease
Eddie Holtz	July 8, 1924	1924	Pneumonia
Matías Ríos	July 1924	1924	unknown
Tony Boeckel	February 16, 1924	October 6, 1923	Car crash
Steel Arm Dickey	March 11, 1923	1922	Murder - stabbed
Fred Boyd	February 24, 1923	1922	unknown
Harry Smith	April 1, 1922	June 23, 1918	Pneumonia
Austin McHenry	November 27, 1922	July 31, 1922	Brain tumor
Pat Kilhullen	October 25, 1922	June 10, 1914	Small pox
Pickles Dillhoefer	February 23, 1922	October 1, 1921	Typhoid pneumonia
C.I. Taylor	February 23, 1922	1921	Heart attack
José Leblanc	January 31, 1922	1921	Baseball: injuries sustained during on-field brawl
Zack Foreman	September 18, 1921	1921	Injuries sustained in a brawl
Faustino Valdés	October 31, 1920	1920	unknown
Ray Chapman	August 17, 1920	August 16, 1920	Baseball: hit by pitch
Joe Leonard	May 1, 1920	April 23, 1920	Appendicitis
Larry Chappell	November 8, 1918	April 25, 1917	Influenza
Ralph Sharman	May 24, 1918	October 3, 1917	Drowned
Bob Unglaub	November 29, 1916	September 17, 1910	Crushed in a railroad pit
John Dodge	June 19, 1916	October 5, 1913	Hit by pitch
King Cole	January 6, 1916	September 20, 1915	Tuberculosis
Otis Johnson	November 9, 1915	September 21, 1911	Hunting accident - shot
Marc Hall	February 24, 1915	July 29, 1914	Diabetes
Jim Doyle	February 1, 1912	October 12, 1911	Burst appendix
George Craig	April 23, 1911	September 17, 1907	Murdered - shot
Addie Joss	April 14, 1911	November 7, 1910	Meningitis
Dan McGann	December 13, 1910	October 7, 1908	Suicide
Alan Storke	March 18, 1910	October 6, 1909	Streptococcus and empyema
Jimmy Sebring	December 22, 1909	August 6, 1909	Bright's disease
Bill Hogg	December 8, 1909	October 2, 1908	Bright's disease
Doc Powers	April 26, 1909	April 12, 1909	Intestinal blockage and gangrene
Ike Van Zandt	September 14, 1908	October 8, 1905	Suicide
Cozy Dolan	March 29, 1907	October 5, 1906	Typhoid fever
Chick Stahl	March 28, 1907	October 6, 1906	Suicide
Pat Hynes	March 12, 1907	October 9, 1904	Murdered -- shot
Joe Cassidy	March 25, 1906	October 7, 1905	Complications of malaria
Pete Dowling	June 30, 1905	September 28, 1901	Hit by train
Ed Delahanty	July 2, 1903	June 25, 1903	Fell, or possibly jumped, into Niagara Falls
Win Mercer	January 12, 1903	September 27, 1902	Suicide
Doc McJames	September 23, 1901	July 13, 1901	Tuberculosis/carriage accident
Tom O'Brien	February 3, 1901	October 13, 1900	Pneumonia
Jack Taylor	February 7, 1900	September 12, 1899	Bright's disease
Jim Rogers	January 21, 1900	June 15, 1897	Complications from earlier hit by pitch
Marty Bergen	January 19, 1900	October 13, 1899	Suicide
Jim Korwan	July 24, 1899	July 17, 1897	Tuberculosis
Jiggs Parrott	April 14, 1898	June 5, 1895	Tuberculosis
Pat Luby	April 24, 1899	June 11, 1895	Tuberculosis
John Gilroy	August 4, 1897	April 18, 1896	Appendicitis
Jim Ritz	November 10, 1896	July 20, 1894	Typhoid fever
Edgar McNabb	February 28, 1894	August 11, 1893	Suicide
Darby O'Brien	June 15, 1893	October 15, 1892	Typhoid fever
Sy Sutcliffe	February 13, 1893	October 6, 1892	Bright's disease
Hub Collins	May 21, 1892	May 14, 1892	Typhoid fever
Jim Fogarty	May 20, 1891	October 4, 1890	Tuberculosis
Bill Blair	February 22, 1890	September 23, 1888	Influenza
Frank Ringo	April 12, 1889	September 18, 1886	Suicide
Len Sowders	November 21, 1888	October 14, 1886	Typhoid fever
Amos Cross	July 16, 1888	October 8, 1887	Tuberculosis
Charlie Ferguson	April 29, 1888	October 8, 1887	Typhoid fever
Alex McKinnon	July 24, 1887	July 4, 1887	Typhoid fever
John Ake	May 11, 1887	July 15, 1884	Drowned
Tom Miller	May 29, 1876	October 29, 1875	Malaria
Charlie Hodes	February 14, 1875	July 13, 1874	Tuberculosis
Cy Bentley	February 26, 1873	August 9, 1872	Consumption
Al Thake	September 1, 1872	August 28, 1872	Drowned
Elmer White	March 18, 1872	September 27, 1871	Consumption

Further Reading

• Douglas Putnam: Sudden Deaths in Sports: 75 Athletes Lost Without Warning, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2024. ISBN 978-1-4766-9444-3