total bases

{{Short description|Number of bases a baseball player has gained with hits}}

{{sabermetric | formula = $TB = (1 \times 1B) + (2 \times 2B) + (3 \times 3B) + (4 \times HR)$ }}

In baseball statistics, total bases is the number of bases a player gains with hits. It is a weighted sum with values of 1 for a single, 2 for a double, 3 for a triple and 4 for a home run. For example, three singles is three total bases, while a double and a home run is six total bases.

Only bases attained from hits count toward this total. Reaching base by other means (such as a base on balls) or advancing further after the hit (such as a stolen base) does not increase the player's total bases. In box scores and other statistical summaries, total bases is often denoted by the abbreviation TB.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/dppaJ|title=Team Batting Game Finder: From 1988 to 2018, Playing for SFG, (requiring TB>=40), sorted by greatest TB|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=August 24, 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/gameday/braves-vs-giants/2016/08/28/448802#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=448802|title=Giants 13, Braves 4|website=MLB.com|access-date=August 24, 2018}}

The total bases divided by the number of at bats is the player's slugging percentage.

Records

{{see also|List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders}}

{{multiple image

| footer = Hank Aaron (left) and Babe Ruth hold the MLB records for total bases in a career and in a single season, 6,856 and 457, respectively.

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| image1 = Hank Aaron 1960.png

| image2 = Babe Ruth by Paul Thompson, 1920.jpg

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{{multiple image

| footer = Shawn Green (left) and Josh Hamilton hold the records for total bases in a single game for the National League and American League, 19 and 18, respectively.

| total_width = 300

| image1 = Shawn Green.jpg

| image2 = Josh Hamilton on May 10, 2012.jpg

}}

Hank Aaron's 6,856 career total bases make him the all-time MLB record holder.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/TB_career.shtml|title=Career Leaders & Records for Total Bases|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}} Having spent the majority of his career playing in the National League, he also holds that league's record with 6,591 total bases.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/AH4sz|title=Batting Season & Career Finder: Spanning Multiple Seasons or entire Careers, Playing in the NL, From 1871 to 2018, (requiring TB>=5500), sorted by greatest Total Bases|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}} Aaron hit for 300 or more total bases in a record 15 different seasons.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/fd4eQ|title=Batting Season & Career Finder: For Single Seasons, From 1871 to 2018, (requiring TB>=300), sorted by greatest Seasons matching criteria|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}} Aaron regarded this record as his proudest accomplishment, over his career home run record, because he felt it better reflected his performance as a team player.{{cite book |last1=Aaron |first1=Henry |last2=Wheeler |first2=Lonnie |title=I Had a Hammer |date=2014 |publisher=Harper-Collins |pages=202 |edition=2 }} Ty Cobb's 5,854 total bases constitute the American League record.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/qGS8K|title=Batting Season & Career Finder: Spanning Multiple Seasons or entire Careers, Playing in the AL, From 1871 to 2018, (requiring TB>=5500), sorted by greatest Total Bases|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}} Freddie Freeman is the active leader and 110th all-time with 3,866 total bases, as of the 2024 MLB season.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/TB_active.shtml|title=Active Leaders & Records for Total Bases|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=March 26, 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/TB_career.shtml|title=Career Leaders & Records for Total Bases|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=March 26, 2024}}

The single season MLB and American League records are held by Babe Ruth, who hit for 457 TB in the 1921 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/TB_season.shtml|title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Total Bases|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}} The following season saw Rogers Hornsby set the National League record when he hit for 450 total bases.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/rTOBq|title=Batting Season & Career Finder: For Single Seasons, From 1871 to 2018, (requiring TB>=425), sorted by greatest Total Bases|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}}

Shawn Green holds the single game total bases record of 19 TB. Green hit four home runs, a single and a double for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Milwaukee Brewers on May 23, 2002.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/n8K1Z|title=Batting Game Finder: From 1908 to 2018, (requiring TB>=17), sorted by greatest TB|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}} The equivalent American League record is held by Josh Hamilton, who hit four home runs and a double (18 TB) for the Texas Rangers in a May 8, 2012, game versus the Baltimore Orioles.

Dustin Pedroia collected the most total bases in a single interleague game during the regular season, with 15. Pedroia hit three home runs, a single and a double for the Boston Red Sox on June 24, 2010, in a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/cO9G5|title=Batting Game Finder: From 1908 to 2018, in Inter-league play, (requiring TB>=13), sorted by greatest TB |publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}}

The 2003 Boston Red Sox and 2019 Minnesota Twins jointly hold the American League single season team record with 2,832 total bases; the National League record is held by the 2001 Colorado Rockies (2,748 TB).{{cite web|url=https://stathead.com/tiny/uoXIU|title=Team Batting Season Finder: For Single Seasons, from 1871 to 2021, Standard stats, requiring Total Bases >= 2700, sorted by greatest Total Bases.|website=Stathead Baseball|access-date=May 24, 2021}} The Red Sox also have the record for most total bases by a team in one game: they hit for 60 TB in a 29–4 victory over the St. Louis Browns on June 8, 1950.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/eVXD9|title=Team Batting Game Finder: From 1908 to 2018, (requiring TB>=50), sorted by greatest TB|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 9, 2018}}

Among major league pitchers, Phil Niekro gave up the most total bases in a career (7,473),{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/QfkIc|title=Pitching Season & Career Finder: Spanning Multiple Seasons or entire Careers, From 1871 to 2018, (requiring TB>=6000), Stats only available back to 1908 and some partially complete., sorted by greatest Total Bases|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}} while Robin Roberts (555 TB allowed in 1956) holds the single season record.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/EnqwT|title=Pitching Season & Career Finder: For Single Seasons, From 1871 to 2018, (requiring TB>=475), Stats only available back to 1908 and some partially complete., sorted by greatest Total Bases|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 8, 2018}} The record number of total bases allowed in a single game by one pitcher is 42, by Allan Travers of the Detroit Tigers.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/32jFc|title=Pitching Game Finder: From 1908 to 2018, (requiring TB>=35), sorted by greatest TB|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 9, 2018}}

=Postseason=

Two players have hit for 14 total bases in a postseason game.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/hkF0z|title=Batting Game Finder: In the Postseason, From 1903 to 2017, (requiring TB>=12), sorted by greatest TB|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 9, 2018}} Albert Pujols is the only player to accomplish this in the World Series, doing so for the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series, when he had two singles and three home runs.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2011/B10220TEX2011.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 16, Texas Rangers 7 |date=October 22, 2011 |website=Retrosheet |access-date=April 16, 2020}} Bob Robertson also achieved the feat while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 2 of the 1971 National League Championship Series, with a double and three home runs.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1971/B10030SFN1971.htm |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 9, San Francisco Giants 4 |date=October 3, 1971 |website=Retrosheet |access-date=April 16, 2020}} David Freese holds the record for a single postseason, with 50 total bases during the 2011 playoffs for the St. Louis Cardinals, while Derek Jeter has the career postseason record of 302 total bases, all with the New York Yankees.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/Playoffs_batting.shtml|title=All-time and Single-Season Postseason Batting Leaders|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=August 27, 2018}}

The Boston Red Sox hit for 45 total bases in their 23–7 victory over the Cleveland Indians in Game 4 of the 1999 American League Division Series, a postseason record. The most total bases by a team in a World Series game is 34, by the Atlanta Braves in Game 5 of the 1991 World Series, when they beat the Minnesota Twins by a score of 14–5.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/VzDK4|title=Team Batting Game Finder: In the Postseason, From 1903 to 2017, (requiring TB>=32), sorted by greatest TB|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 9, 2018}}

=All-Star Games=

Ted Williams hit for a record 10 total bases (two singles and two home runs) in the All-Star Game when representing the American League in the 1946 edition.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/h1mSI|title=Team Batting Game Finder: In the All-Star Game, From 1933 to 2017, (requiring TB>=8), sorted by greatest TB|publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 9, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1946/B07090ALS1946.htm |title=American League 12, National League 0 |date=July 9, 1946 |website=Retrosheet |access-date=April 16, 2020}} The 1954 edition, when the American League had 29 and the National League had 23, produced the most total bases in a single All-Star Game, 52.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/rb_asb3.shtml |title=All-Star Game Records: Team All-Star Game Hitting Records |website=Baseball Almanac |access-date=April 16, 2020}} The most total bases by one team in an All-Star Game is 29, achieved by the American League in both the 1954 and 1992 editions. The National League had a high of 25 total bases in the 1951 game.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/tiny/MUo7S|title=Team Batting Game Finder: In the All-Star Game, From 1933 to 2017, (requiring TB>=22), sorted by greatest TB |publisher=Baseball Reference|access-date=July 9, 2018}}

References

External links

[http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/total_bases_records.shtml Total Bases Records] at Baseball Almanac

Category:Baseball statistics