List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
In baseball, a run batted in is awarded to a batter for each runner who scores as a result of the batter's action, including a hit, fielder's choice, sacrifice fly, bases loaded walk, or hit by pitch. A batter is also awarded an RBI for scoring himself upon hitting a home run. In Major League Baseball, a player in each league wins the "RBI crown" or "RBI title" each season by hitting the most runs batted in that year.
The first RBI champion in the National League was Deacon White; in the league's inaugural 1876 season, White hit 60 RBIs for the Chicago White Stockings. The American League was established in 1901, and Hall of Fame second baseman Nap Lajoie led that league with 125 RBIs for the Philadelphia Athletics. Over the course of his 27-season career, Cap Anson led the NL in RBI eight times. Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner have the second- and third-most RBI titles, respectively: Ruth with six, and Wagner with five. Several players are tied for the most consecutive seasons led with three: Anson, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Ruth, Joe Medwick, George Foster, and Cecil Fielder. Notably, Matt Holliday won the NL title in 2007 by one RBI over Ryan Howard, only overtaking Howard due to his performance in the 2007 National League Wild Card tie-breaker game. Had Howard won the 2007 title, he would have led the NL in a record four consecutive seasons from 2006 to 2009. The most recent champions are José Abreu in the American League, and Anthony Rendon in the National League.
Sam Thompson was the first to set a single-season RBI record that stood for more than three seasons, hitting 166 in 1887. Thompson's title that season also represented the widest margin of victory for an RBI champion as he topped the next highest total by 62 RBIs. The single-season mark of 166 stood for over thirty years until Babe Ruth hit 171 in 1921. Ruth's mark was then broken by teammate Lou Gehrig six seasons later in 1927 when Gehrig hit 175 RBI. Finally, Hack Wilson set the current record mark of 191 RBI in 1930 with the Chicago Cubs. The all-time career RBI record holder is Hank Aaron with 2,297, 84 more than Ruth in second place. Aaron led the National League in RBI four times, never consecutively. The 1930 season when Wilson set the record saw four players hit more than 160 RBI: Wilson, Gehrig, Chuck Klein, and Al Simmons. A player has batted in 160 or more runs 21 times, with 14 of these seasons occurring during the 1930s and only twice since 1940. The lowest RBI total to ever lead a major league was 49, by Deacon White in the National League's second season.
Key
American League
Year | Winner | RBI | Team | Runner-up | 2nd RBI | Ref |
1901 | † | 125 | Philadelphia Athletics | 114 | ||
1902 | 121 | Boston Americans | 110 | |||
1903 | 104 | Boston Americans | ||||
† | 102 | Cleveland Naps | ||||
Philadelphia Athletics | ||||||
Philadelphia Athletics | † | |||||
† | 119 | Detroit Tigers | ||||
† | 108 | Detroit Tigers | † | |||
† | 107 | Detroit Tigers | † | |||
† | 120 | Detroit Tigers | † | |||
† | 127 | Detroit Tigers | † | 115 | ||
† | 130 | Philadelphia Athletics | 109 | |||
† | 117 | Philadelphia Athletics | ||||
† | 104 | Detroit Tigers | ||||
Sam Crawford† | 112 | Detroit Tigers | † | |||
103 | St. Louis Browns | |||||
103 | Detroit Tigers | 102 | ||||
Detroit Tigers | ||||||
† | 114 | Boston Red Sox | 101 | |||
† | 137 | New York Yankees | † | 122 | ||
† | 171 | New York Yankees | † | 139 | ||
155 | St. Louis Browns | 126 | ||||
† | 131 | New York Yankees | † | 130 | ||
† | 129 | Washington Senators | † | 121 | ||
138 | New York Yankees | † | 134 | |||
† | 146 | New York Yankees | † George Burns | 114 | ||
† | 175 | New York Yankees | † | 164 | ||
† Lou Gehrig† | 142 | New York Yankees | 113 | |||
† | 157 | Philadelphia Athletics | † | 154 | ||
† | 173 | New York Yankees | † | 165 | ||
† | 185 | New York Yankees | † | 163 | ||
† | 169 | Philadelphia Athletics | † Al Simmons† | 151 | ||
† | 163 | Philadelphia Athletics | † | 139 | ||
† | 165 | New York Yankees | 142 | |||
† | 168 | Detroit Tigers | † | 119 | ||
162 | Cleveland Indians | † | 152 | |||
† | 184 | Detroit Tigers | † | 167 | ||
† | 175 | Boston Red Sox | † | 146 | ||
† | 145 | Boston Red Sox | † | 126 | ||
† | 150 | Detroit Tigers | 134 | |||
† | 125 | New York Yankees | 123 | |||
† | 137 | Boston Red Sox | † | 114 | ||
118 | Detroit Tigers | 107 | ||||
109 | St. Louis Browns | 106 | ||||
111 | New York Yankees | |||||
† | 127 | Detroit Tigers | † | 123 | ||
† | 114 | Boston Red Sox | ||||
† | 155 | New York Yankees | 137 | |||
† Vern Stephens | 159 | Boston Red Sox | 133 | |||
Vern Stephens | 144 | Boston Red Sox | † | 124 | ||
129 | Chicago White Sox Philadelphia Athletics | † | 126 | |||
105 | Cleveland Indians | † Eddie Robinson | 104 | |||
145 | Cleveland Indians | 115 | ||||
† | 126 | Cleveland Indians | † | 125 | ||
Jackie Jensen | 116 | Detroit Tigers Boston Red Sox | † | 108 | ||
† | 130 | New York Yankees | † | 128 | ||
114 | Washington Senators | 105 | ||||
122 | Boston Red Sox | 113 | ||||
112 | Boston Red Sox | 111 | ||||
112 | New York Yankees | 105 | ||||
Roger Maris | 141 | Baltimore Orioles New York Yankees | Rocky Colavito | 140 | ||
† | 126 | Minnesota Twins | 117 | |||
118 | Boston Red Sox | † | 101 | |||
† | 118 | Baltimore Orioles | 114 | |||
108 | Cleveland Indians | 104 | ||||
† | 122 | Baltimore Orioles | † | 110 | ||
† | 121 | Boston Red Sox | † | 113 | ||
109 | Boston Red Sox | 106 | ||||
† | 140 | Minnesota Twins | 121 | |||
126 | Washington Senators | 116 | ||||
† | 119 | Minnesota Twins | † | |||
113 | Chicago White Sox | 100 | ||||
† | 117 | Oakland Athletics | 107 | |||
118 | Texas Rangers | 103 | ||||
109 | Milwaukee Brewers | 106 | ||||
109 | Baltimore Orioles | 105 | ||||
119 | Minnesota Twins | 115 | ||||
† | 139 | Boston Red Sox | 121 | |||
139 | California Angels | † | 130 | |||
122 | Milwaukee Brewers | † Ben Oglivie | 118 | |||
† | Baltimore Orioles | |||||
133 | Kansas City Royals | 121 | ||||
† Cecil Cooper | 126 | Boston Red Sox Milwaukee Brewers | † | 116 | ||
123 | Boston Red Sox | † | 122 | |||
145 | New York Yankees | † | 124 | |||
121 | Cleveland Indians | 117 | ||||
134 | Toronto Blue Jays | 123 | ||||
124 | Oakland Athletics | † | 121 | |||
119 | Texas Rangers | 113 | ||||
132 | Detroit Tigers | 118 | ||||
133 | Detroit Tigers | 122 | ||||
124 | Detroit Tigers | 119 | ||||
129 | Cleveland Indians | † | 128 | |||
† | 112 | Minnesota Twins | 103 | |||
Mo Vaughn | 126 | Cleveland Indians Boston Red Sox | 121 | |||
148 | Cleveland Indians | 144 | ||||
† | 147 | Seattle Mariners | 141 | |||
157 | Texas Rangers | 152 | ||||
165 | Cleveland Indians | 148 | ||||
† | 145 | Seattle Mariners | 144 | |||
141 | Seattle Mariners | 140 | ||||
142 | Texas Rangers | 135 | ||||
145 | Toronto Blue Jays | 118 | ||||
150 | Baltimore Orioles | 139 | ||||
148 | Boston Red Sox | Mark Teixeira | 144 | |||
137 | Boston Red Sox | 130 | ||||
156 | New York Yankees | 139 | ||||
130 | Texas Rangers | 129 | ||||
122 | New York Yankees | 119 | ||||
126 | Detroit Tigers | 125 | ||||
119 | New York Yankees | 118 | ||||
139 | Detroit Tigers | 128 | ||||
138 | Baltimore Orioles | 137 | ||||
111 | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim | 109 | ||||
123 | Toronto Blue Jays | 117 | ||||
David Ortiz | 127 | Toronto Blue Jays Boston Red Sox | 119 | |||
119 | Seattle Mariners | 114 | ||||
130 | Boston Red Sox | 123 | ||||
123 | Chicago White Sox | 117 |
National League
Year | Winner | RBI | Team | Runner-up | 2nd RBI | Ref |
† | Chicago White Stockings | Cap Anson† Ross Barnes | ||||
† | Boston Red Caps | |||||
Providence Grays | ||||||
Charley Jones | Boston Red Caps | |||||
† | Chicago White Stockings | † | ||||
† | Chicago White Stockings | |||||
† | Chicago White Stockings | † | ||||
† | Buffalo Bisons | |||||
† | 102 | Chicago White Stockings | 101 | |||
† | 108 | Chicago White Stockings | † | |||
† | 147 | Chicago White Stockings | ||||
† | 166 | Detroit Wolverines | † | 104 | ||
† | Chicago White Stockings | |||||
† | 130 | New York Giants | † | 118 | ||
128 | Brooklyn Bridegrooms | † | 107 | |||
† | 120 | Chicago Colts | ||||
† | 124 | Brooklyn Grooms | † | 104 | ||
† | 146 | Philadelphia Phillies | 133 | |||
† | 147 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 145 | ||
† | 165 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 134 | ||
† | 126 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 121 | ||
† | 135 | New York Giants | † | 132 | ||
† | 127 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 111 | ||
† | 137 | Philadelphia Phillies | 122 | |||
† | 110 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 109 | ||
† | 126 | Pittsburgh Pirates | † | 108 | ||
† | Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||
104 | New York Giants | † | 101 | |||
New York Giants | Harry Lumley | |||||
121 | Cincinnati Reds | 108 | ||||
Jim Nealon | Chicago Cubs Pittsburgh Pirates | |||||
Philadelphia Phillies | Honus Wagner† | |||||
† | 109 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 106 | |||
† | 100 | Pittsburgh Pirates | ||||
123 | Philadelphia Phillies | |||||
Frank Schulte | 107 | Pittsburgh Pirates Chicago Cubs | ||||
† | 102 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 100 | |||
128 | Philadelphia Phillies | |||||
103 | Philadelphia Phillies | 100 | ||||
115 | Philadelphia Phillies | |||||
Chicago Cubs New York Giants | ||||||
102 | New York Giants | |||||
Cincinnati Reds | ||||||
Brooklyn Robins | † Rogers Hornsby† | |||||
† George Kelly† | St. Louis Cardinals New York Giants | † | ||||
† | 126 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 122 | ||
† | 152 | St. Louis Cardinals | 132 | |||
125 | New York Giants | 114 | ||||
† | 136 | New York Giants | 116 | |||
† | 143 | St. Louis Cardinals | 130 | |||
† | 120 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 109 | ||
† | 131 | Pittsburgh Pirates | † | 129 | ||
† | 136 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 124 | ||
† | 159 | Chicago Cubs | † | 151 | ||
† | 191 | Chicago Cubs | † | 170 | ||
† | 121 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 115 | ||
143 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 137 | |||
† | 120 | Philadelphia Phillies | 106 | |||
† | 135 | New York Giants | 128 | |||
130 | Boston Braves | † | 126 | |||
† | 138 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 135 | ||
† | 154 | St. Louis Cardinals | 115 | |||
† | 122 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 116 | ||
128 | Cincinnati Reds | † | 117 | |||
† | 137 | St. Louis Cardinals | 127 | |||
120 | Brooklyn Dodgers | 104 | ||||
† | 110 | New York Giants | 109 | |||
128 | Chicago Cubs | 101 | ||||
122 | Chicago Cubs | 108 | ||||
124 | Brooklyn Dodgers | 117 | ||||
† | 130 | St. Louis Cardinals | 116 | |||
† | 138 | New York Giants | † | 127 | ||
† | 131 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 125 | ||
† | 127 | Pittsburgh Pirates | † | 124 | ||
126 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 118 | |||
† | 121 | New York Giants | † Sid Gordon | 109 | ||
121 | Chicago Cubs | 108 | ||||
† | 142 | Brooklyn Dodgers | † | 135 | ||
141 | Cincinnati Reds | † | 130 | |||
† | 136 | Brooklyn Dodgers | † | 127 | ||
† | 109 | St. Louis Cardinals | 103 | |||
† | 132 | Milwaukee Braves | 105 | |||
† | 129 | Chicago Cubs | 109 | |||
† | 143 | Chicago Cubs | † | 125 | ||
† | 126 | Milwaukee Braves | † | 124 | ||
† | 142 | San Francisco Giants | † | 124 | ||
153 | Los Angeles Dodgers | † | 141 | |||
† | 130 | Milwaukee Braves | 111 | |||
119 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 114 | |||
130 | Cincinnati Reds | † | 113 | |||
† | 127 | Atlanta Braves | † | 119 | ||
† | 111 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 110 | ||
† | 105 | San Francisco Giants | † Billy Williams† | |||
† | 126 | San Francisco Giants | † | 123 | ||
† | 148 | Cincinnati Reds | † Billy Williams† | 129 | ||
† | 137 | St. Louis Cardinals | † | 125 | ||
† | 125 | Cincinnati Reds | † | 122 | ||
† | 119 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 105 | |||
† | 129 | Cincinnati Reds | † | 116 | ||
120 | Philadelphia Phillies | † | 110 | |||
121 | Cincinnati Reds | † | 111 | |||
149 | Cincinnati Reds | 130 | ||||
120 | Cincinnati Reds | 117 | ||||
† | 118 | San Diego Padres | 115 | |||
† | 121 | Philadelphia Phillies | 109 | |||
† | Philadelphia Phillies | |||||
Al Oliver | 109 | Atlanta Braves Montreal Expos | 105 | |||
121 | Atlanta Braves | † | 113 | |||
† Gary Carter† | 106 | Philadelphia Phillies Montreal Expos | 100 | |||
125 | Cincinnati Reds | 111 | ||||
† | 119 | Philadelphia Phillies | 116 | |||
† | 137 | Chicago Cubs | 123 | |||
109 | San Francisco Giants | 101 | ||||
125 | San Francisco Giants | 117 | ||||
122 | San Francisco Giants | 120 | ||||
117 | New York Mets | 116 | ||||
109 | Philadelphia Phillies | 105 | ||||
123 | San Francisco Giants | 120 | ||||
† | 116 | Houston Astros | ||||
128 | Colorado Rockies | 119 | ||||
150 | Colorado Rockies | 141 | ||||
140 | Colorado Rockies | † | 135 | |||
158 | Chicago Cubs | 147 | ||||
147 | St. Louis Cardinals | 142 | ||||
147 | Colorado Rockies | 138 | ||||
160 | Chicago Cubs | 146 | ||||
128 | Houston Astros | 127 | ||||
141 | Colorado Rockies | 132 | ||||
131 | Colorado Rockies | 124 | ||||
128 | Atlanta Braves | 117 | ||||
149 | Philadelphia Phillies | 137 | ||||
137 | Colorado Rockies | 136 | ||||
146 | Philadelphia Phillies | 124 | ||||
Ryan Howard | 141 | Milwaukee Brewers Philadelphia Phillies | 135 | |||
118 | St. Louis Cardinals | 117 | ||||
126 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 120 | ||||
115 | San Diego Padres | 112 | ||||
125 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 109 | ||||
116 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 105 | ||||
130 | Colorado Rockies | 110 | ||||
133 | Colorado Rockies | 109 | ||||
132 | Miami Marlins | 130 | ||||
111 | Chicago Cubs | 110 | ||||
126 | Washington Nationals | 121 |
Other major leagues
Year | Winner | RBI | Team | League | Runner-up | 2nd RBI | Ref |
Cincinnati Red Stockings | American Association | ||||||
Cincinnati Red Stockings | American Association | † | |||||
112 | New York Metropolitans | American Association | † | ||||
Cincinnati Red Stockings | American Association | ||||||
107 | St. Louis Browns | American Association | |||||
123 | St. Louis Browns | American Association | 118 | ||||
103 | Cincinnati Red Stockings | American Association | 101 | ||||
119 | Philadelphia Athletics | American Association | 113 | ||||
113 | Columbus Solons | American Association | |||||
146 | Brooklyn Ward's Wonders | Players' League | 124 | ||||
Hugh Duffy† | 110 | Boston Reds | American Association | † | 109 | ||
107 | Indianapolis Hoosiers | Federal League | |||||
Pittsburgh Rebels | Federal League |
Footnotes
- Recognized "major leagues" include the current American and National Leagues and several defunct leagues – the American Association, the Federal League, the Players' League, and the Union Association. However, RBI statistics are not available for the Union Association.