In baseball statistics, Batters Faced (BF), also known as Total Batters Faced (TBF), is the number of batters who made a plate appearance before the pitcher in a game or in a season. This is a list of the top 100 leaders.
Cy Young is the all-time leader, facing 29,565 batters in his career. Young is the only player to face more than 26,000 career batters. Pud Galvin is second having faced 25,415 batters, and is the only other player to have faced more than 25,000 batters. A total of 17 players have faced over 20,000 batters in their careers, with all but two (Bobby Mathews and Roger Clemens) being in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Key
Rank | Rank amongst leaders in career batters faced. A blank field indicates a tie. |
Player | Name of player. |
BF | Total career batters faced. Current total in parentheses () |
* | Denotes elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame. |
---|---|
Denotes active player |
List
- Stats updated as of the end of the 2024 season.
Rank | Player (2025 BF) | BF |
---|---|---|
1 | Cy Young* | 29,565 |
2 | Pud Galvin* | 25,415 |
3 | Walter Johnson* | 23,405 |
4 | Phil Niekro* | 22,677 |
5 | Nolan Ryan* | 22,575 |
6 | Bobby Mathews | 21,977 |
7 | Gaylord Perry* | 21,953 |
8 | Steve Carlton* | 21,683 |
9 | Don Sutton* | 21,631 |
10 | Warren Spahn* | 21,547 |
11 | Kid Nichols* | 21,082 |
12 | Tim Keefe* | 20,941 |
13 | Grover Cleveland Alexander* | 20,893 |
14 | Bert Blyleven* | 20,491 |
15 | Greg Maddux* | 20,421 |
16 | Mickey Welch* | 20,308 |
17 | Roger Clemens | 20,240 |
18 | Tommy John | 19,692 |
19 | Early Wynn* | 19,408 |
20 | Tony Mullane | 19,407 |
21 | Tom Seaver* | 19,369 |
22 | Gus Weyhing | 19,188 |
23 | Robin Roberts* | 19,174 |
24 | John Clarkson* | 19,146 |
25 | Jim Kaat* | 19,023 |
26 | Charles Radbourn* | 18,918 |
27 | Christy Mathewson* | 18,913 |
28 | Eppa Rixey* | 18,754 |
29 | Tom Glavine* | 18,604 |
30 | Red Ruffing* | 18,546 |
31 | Ferguson Jenkins* | 18,400 |
32 | Burleigh Grimes* | 17,974 |
33 | Jack Powell | 17,896 |
34 | Eddie Plank* | 17,803 |
35 | Ted Lyons* | 17,797 |
36 | Jim McCormick | 17,702 |
37 | Frank Tanana | 17,641 |
38 | Jamie Moyer | 17,356 |
39 | Red Faber* | 17,104 |
40 | Randy Johnson* | 17,067 |
41 | Dennis Martínez | 16,754 |
42 | Sad Sam Jones | 16,662 |
43 | Lefty Grove* | 16,622 |
44 | Bobo Newsom | 16,467 |
45 | Jack Quinn | 16,356 |
46 | Amos Rusie | 16,313 |
47 | Vic Willis* | 16,263 |
48 | Bob Feller* | 16,180 |
49 | Charlie Hough | 16,170 |
50 | Jack Morris* | 16,120 |