Runs batted in

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Commonly referred to as RBI, a run batted in is credited to the batter for the number of runners who score due to any hit, fielder's choice, out, walk or HBP by the batter. Runs that score as the result of double plays (or the ultra rare bases loaded triple play) or errors do not result in credit being given for an RBI. A batter can bat himself in on a home run.  Prolific home run hitters will sometimes drive themselves in more than any of their teammates.

Conversely, no RBI is granted on a wild pitch, passed ball, balk or steal of home.

Most players do not have similar amounts of runs scored and RBI. Lead-off batters may score over 100 runs in a season but drive in fewer than 50. Of the players who have batted in over 1700 runs in their career, all have scored at least 1500, but of the players who have batted in between 1500 and 1700 in a career, only a minority have scored at least 1500.

RBIs have only been an official statistic since 1920. While RBIs have been compiled for games played before that time, the statistics are approximate in the absence of detailed play-by-play accounts of many games. This has led to some confusion, as the Elias Sports Bureau, the official statisticians of Major League Baseball only recognize "official" totals, from 1920 onward. This has the effect of cutting off an important chunk of Babe Ruth's RBIs, and leaving out Cap Anson altogether, when compared to the comprehensive list recognized by all other baseball historians, for example those at Baseball-Reference.com. This anomaly was the reason why, in recent years, when Alex Rodriguez and then Albert Pujols approached 2000 RBIs, there were a number of misleading articles written about their "catching" Ruth or their place on the all-time leaders list, when those articles relied on the truncated Elias numbers. The list of career leaders from Baseball-Reference, linked below, is the most reliable one.


All Time Leaders
Span Player Total
Career Hank Aaron 2297
Season Hack Wilson 191
Game Jim Bottomley 12
Game Mark Whiten 12
Minor League Career Nelson Barrera 2045
Minor League Season Bob Crues 254
NPB Career Sadaharu Oh 2170
NPB Season Makoto Kozuru 161
CPBL Season Tilson Brito 107
Serie A1 Season Roberto Bianchi 102
AAGPBL Career Dorothy Schroeder 431
AAGPBL Season Jean Geissinger 91
AAGPBL Game Margaret Villa 9

See Also[edit]

Further Reading[edit]

  • Thomas Harrigan: "This is every position's all-time RBI leader", mlb.com, May 16, 2020. [1]
  • Cyril Morong: "RBI, Opportunities, and Power Hitting: Opportunities Significantly Affect RBI Totals", The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Number 31, 2003, pp. 98-101. [2]

Related Sites[edit]