Unbelievable RBI Records That Changed MLB History Forever—Can Anyone Break Them?

You ever notice how RBIs in baseball get about as much respect these days as a comedian with a bad punchline? Sure, the analytics gurus have been side-eyeing RBIs for ages—calling them an outdated way to size up the true all-stars on the diamond. But here’s the quirky thing: despite the stat’s shaky rep, the career RBI leaders read like a who’s who of baseball royalty. It’s kind of like how pitcher wins still hang around in discussions, even though they’re a bit of a blunt instrument. So, for one glorious day, let’s throw caution—and our anti-RBI glasses—out the window, and marvel at the legends who’ve brought home the bacon in games, seasons, and entire careers. Curious who’s dominated driving in runs throughout MLB history? Stick around—we’re diving deep. LEARN MORE
And at the top is one of the most consistently elite players ever.

At the top of the list is Hack Wilson, a hitter who would’ve fit in well in the three true outcome world of today’s MLB.

As you might expect, neither game was close. Bottomley drove in his 12 RBIs in a 17-3 win over the Brooklyn Robins and Whiten knocked in his 12 in a 15-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Bottomley hit two of his 14 home runs on the season while going 6 for 6, while all four of Whiten’s hits were home runs.

Wilson not only set the record for RBIs in 1930, but led the league in home runs, walks and strikeouts as well. His timing wasn’t the best, however, as MLB elected not to have an official National League MVP that year due to financial restraints.

The post The Most RBIs in a Game, Season and Career in MLB History appeared first on Opta Analyst.

Most RBIs in a Career

1. 2,297 – Hank Aaron (1954-76)

The career leaders in RBIs is a shortlist of the best players of all time.

Enjoy this? Subscribe to our mailing list to receive exclusive weekly content.

RBIs are much like pitcher wins in that, while they are not the best way to judge performance, a whole lot of very good players show up at the top of the career lists. We’re breaking down the players who have the most RBIs in a game, season and career in MLB history.

So, let’s turn off our anti-RBI brains for one day, and salute those who have driven in the most teammates in given periods of time.

2. 2,218 – Albert Pujols (2001-22)

3. 2,215 – Babe Ruth (1914-35)

4. 2,086 – Alex Rodriguez (1994-2016)

5. 1,996 – Barry Bonds (1986-2007)

Most RBIs in a Season

1. 191 – Hack Wilson, Chicago Cubs (1930)

Salvador Perez led the league with 121 RBIs in 2021. A player would have to average that number for 19 years to topple Aaron’s career total. Good luck with that.

A pair of St. Louis Cardinals top this list, as Jim Bottomley and Mark Whiten are the only two players to drive in 12 runs in one game in MLB history.

The most recent being Mark Reynolds in 2018. Reynolds had just 40 RBIs the whole season in 2018, so he had 25% of his RBIs for the year in one of his 86 games.

2. 184 – Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees (1931)

3. 183 – Hank Greenberg, Detroit Tigers (1937)

4. 175 – Jimmie Foxx, Boston Red Sox (1938)

5. 173 – Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees (1927, 1930)

Most RBIs in a Game

1. 12 – Jim Bottomley, St. Louis Cardinals (Sept. 16, 1924) and Mark Whiten, St. Louis Cardinals (Sept. 7, 1993)

Hammerin’ Hank Aaron is known for his home runs, but he also led the league in RBIs four different times for the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves. He had more than 100 RBIs 11 times, eventually surpassing Babe Ruth atop this list. His lowest RBI total in a single season between 1955-71 was 89.

But you know what can be fun? Watching one player drive in a whole bunch of teammates. And RBIs are much like pitcher wins in that, while they are not the best way to judge players, a whole lot of very good players show up at the top of the career lists.

3. 11 – Tony Lazzeri, New York Yankees (May 24, 1936) and Phil Weintraub, New York Giants (April 30, 1944)

5. 10 – Fifteen Players Tied

The poor RBI.

The 1920s and ‘30s were a boon for sluggers in the middle of lineups, as the top 11 single-season RBI totals are from those two decades. The most RBIs by anyone in a season since 1940 was 165 for Manny Ramirez in 1999, which is tied for the 13th most in a single season.
The stat has been under fire by the advanced analytics community for quite some time. After judging hitters by how many runs they drive in throughout much of baseball history, the consensus has finally seemed to shift. Most agree that RBIs are not of the utmost importance in determining the game’s elite.