Single Season Leaders for Games Played in the American League

A sign of longevity. A sign of health. The ability to play the game at a level high enough to keep you in the starting lineup. Those are a few of the key components needed to make the American League single season games played leader board.

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-hundred (100) single season leaders in American League games played. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"Hustling Cesar Tovar divided his 1967 season with the Twins among the outfield, third base, second, and short, playing in an AL-record 164 games and leading the league with 649 at-bats. The 5'9" Venezuelan dramatized his versatility in a September 22, 1968 game when he played all nine positions against the A's." - Rich Marazzi on BaseballLibrary.com
Games Played
Single Season American League Leaders

'Top 100'
Cesar Tovar 164 1967 Minnesota Twins AL 1
Albert Belle 163 1998 Chicago White Sox AL 2
Don Buford 163 1966 Chicago White Sox AL  
Rocky Colavito 163 1961 Detroit Tigers AL  
Tony Fernandez 163 1986 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Harmon Killebrew 163 1967 Minnesota Twins AL  
Hideki Matsui 163 2003 New York Yankees AL  
Justin Morneau 163 2008 Minnesota Twins AL  
Al Oliver 163 1980 Texas Rangers AL  
Jim Rice 163 1978 Boston Red Sox AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 163 1996 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Brooks Robinson 163 1961 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Brooks Robinson 163 1964 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Leon Wagner 163 1964 Cleveland Indians AL  
Greg Walker 163 1985 Chicago White Sox AL  
Sandy Alomar 162 1970 California Angels AL 16
Sandy Alomar 162 1971 California Angels AL  
Sal Bando 162 1968 Oakland Athletics AL  
Sal Bando 162 1969 Oakland Athletics AL  
Sal Bando 162 1973 Oakland Athletics AL  
Jimmy Barrett 162 1904 Detroit Tigers AL  
Don Baylor 162 1979 California Angels AL  
Buddy Bell 162 1979 Texas Rangers AL  
Carlos Beltran 162 2002 Kansas City Royals AL  
Rick Bosetti 162 1979 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Ed Brinkman 162 1973 Detroit Tigers AL  
Bill Buckner 162 1985 Boston Red Sox AL  
Joe Carter 162 1986 Cleveland Indians AL  
Joe Carter 162 1989 Cleveland Indians AL  
Joe Carter 162 1991 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Chris Chambliss 162 1978 New York Yankees AL  
Rocky Colavito 162 1965 Cleveland Indians AL  
Al Cowens 162 1977 Kansas City Royals AL  
Jose Cruz, Jr. 162 2000 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Carlos Delgado 162 2000 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Carlos Delgado 162 2001 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Dwight Evans 162 1982 Boston Red Sox AL  
Dwight Evans 162 1984 Boston Red Sox AL  
Cecil Fielder 162 1991 Detroit Tigers AL  
Jim Fregosi 162 1966 California Angels AL  
Gary Gaetti 162 1984 Minnesota Twins AL  
Bobby Grich 162 1973 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Alfredo Griffin 162 1982 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Alfredo Griffin 162 1983 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Alfredo Griffin 162 1985 Oakland Athletics AL  
Alfredo Griffin 162 1986 Oakland Athletics AL  
Ron Hansen 162 1965 Chicago White Sox AL  
Toby Harrah 162 1982 Cleveland Indians AL  
Ken Henderson 162 1974 Chicago White Sox AL  
Willie Horton 162 1979 Seattle Mariners AL  
Dick Howser 162 1964 Cleveland Indians AL  
Aubrey Huff 162 2003 Tampa Bay Devil Rays AL  
Brian Hunter 162 1997 Detroit Tigers AL  
Raul Ibanez 162 2005 Seattle Mariners AL  
Raul Ibanez 162 2008 Seattle Mariners AL  
Ruppert Jones 162 1979 Seattle Mariners AL  
Roberto Kelly 162 1990 New York Yankees AL  
Harmon Killebrew 162 1966 Minnesota Twins AL  
Harmon Killebrew 162 1969 Minnesota Twins AL  
Bobby Knoop 162 1964 Los Angeles Angels AL  
Terrence Long 162 2001 Oakland Athletics AL  
Terrence Long 162 2002 Oakland Athletics AL  
Hideki Matsui 162 2004 New York Yankees AL  
Hideki Matsui 162 2005 New York Yankees AL  
Don Mattingly 162 1986 New York Yankees AL  
Dick McAuliffe 162 1964 Detroit Tigers AL  
Hal McRae 162 1977 Kansas City Royals AL  
Jim Morrison 162 1980 Chicago White Sox AL  
Eddie Murray 162 1984 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Rafael Palmeiro 162 1996 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Rafael Palmeiro 162 1998 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Bobby Richardson 162 1961 New York Yankees AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1983 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1984 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1986 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1987 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1989 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1991 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1992 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1993 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 162 1997 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Brooks Robinson 162 1962 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Brooks Robinson 162 1968 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Alex Rodriguez 162 2001 Texas Rangers AL  
Alex Rodriguez 162 2002 Texas Rangers AL  
Alex Rodriguez 162 2005 New York Yankees AL  
George Scott 162 1966 Boston Red Sox AL  
Norm Siebern 162 1962 Kansas City Athletics AL  
Ruben Sierra 162 1989 Texas Rangers AL  
Grady Sizemore 162 2006 Cleveland Indians AL  
Grady Sizemore 162 2007 Cleveland Indians AL  
Roy Smalley 162 1979 Minnesota Twins AL  
Rusty Staub 162 1978 Detroit Tigers AL  
B.J. Surhoff 162 1998 Baltimore Orioles AL  
B.J. Surhoff 162 1999 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Ichiro Suzuki 162 2005 Seattle Mariners AL  
Ichiro Suzuki 162 2008 Seattle Mariners AL  
Mark Teixeira 162 2005 Texas Rangers AL  
Mark Teixeira 162 2006 Texas Rangers AL  
Miguel Tejada 162 2001 Oakland Athletics AL 100
Miguel Tejada 162 2002 Oakland Athletics AL  
Miguel Tejada 162 2003 Oakland Athletics AL  
Miguel Tejada 162 2004 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Miguel Tejada 162 2005 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Miguel Tejada 162 2006 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Gorman Thomas 162 1980 Milwaukee Brewers AL  
Don Wert 162 1965 Detroit Tigers AL  
Roy White 162 1970 New York Yankees AL  
Roy White 162 1973 New York Yankees AL  
Jake Wood 162 1961 Detroit Tigers AL  
George Wright 162 1983 Texas Rangers AL  
Carl Yastrzemski 162 1969 Boston Red Sox AL  
Delmon Young 162 2007 Tampa Bay Devil Rays AL  
Michael Young 162 2006 Texas Rangers AL  
Robin Yount 162 1988 Milwaukee Brewers AL  
Current Through 2009 Season


Did you know that hall of famer Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles is the only American League player to appear in more than one-hundred sixty-two (162) games twice (163 in 1961 & 163 in 1964)?

The code to write the single season games played league splits was developed in 2005, launched during 2006 and made possible by your support — please continue helping us create these kinds of pages by supporting our site.

The National League single season record for games played was set in 1962 by Maury Wills of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The American League single season record for games played is on this page. Is either the Career Leader for Games Played?
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