Error Records for First Basemen

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book of baseball milestones for errors by first basemen — including career error records marks at first, single season error records plateaus for first basemen, and game specific error records at first base.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"He (George Sisler - tied for American League record in errors scored by a first baseman during a 9-inning game) is the nearest thing to a perfect ballplayer." - Hall of Famer Ty Cobb

Error Records for First Basemen

Career Errors Records at First Base

Most Errors
In A Career by a First Baseman
AL Hal Chase New York 245 285
Chicago 40
NL Cap Anson Chicago 583 583

Error Records for First Basemen

Single Season Errors Records at First Base

Fewest Errors
In A Season by a First Baseman
150+ Games Played at 1B
AL Stuffy McInnis Boston 1 1921
NL Steve Garvey San Diego 0 1984
Fewest Errors
In A Season by a First Baseman
By The League Leader
AL Adam Dunn Chicago 8 2013
Eric Hosmer Kansas City 2013
Nick Swisher Cleveland 2013
Mark Trumbo Los Angeles 2013
NL Chris Carter Milwaukee 11 2016
Ryan Howard Philadelphia 2016
Most Errors
In A Season by a First Baseman
AL Jerry Freeman Washington 41 1908
NL Cap Anson Chicago 58 1884
Most Seasons
Leading The League
AL Mo Vaughn Boston 6 1992
Boston 1993
Boston 1994
Boston 1996
Boston 1997
Anaheim 2000
NL Cap Anson Chicago 5 1882
Chicago 1884
Chicago 1885
Chicago 1886
Chicago 1892
Willie McCovey San Francisco 1967
San Francisco 1968
San Francisco 1970
San Francisco 1971
San Francisco 1977
Dick Stuart Pittsburgh 1958
Pittsburgh 1959
Pittsburgh 1960
Pittsburgh 1961
Pittsburgh 1962
ML Dick Stuart Pittsburgh [NL] 7 1958
Pittsburgh [NL] 1959
Pittsburgh [NL] 1960
Pittsburgh [NL] 1961
Pittsburgh [NL] 1962
Boston [AL] 1963
Boston [AL] 1964
Mo Vaughn Boston [AL] 1992
Boston [AL] 1993
Boston [AL] 1994
Boston [AL] 1996
Boston [AL] 1997
Boston [AL] 2000
New York [NL] 2002

Error Records for First Basemen

Game Specific Errors Records at First Base

Most Errors
In A Game by a First Baseman
9 Innings
AA Lew Brown Louisville 5 09-10-1883
AL Hal Chase Chicago 4 07-23-1913
Buck Freeman Boston 09-23-1901
George Sisler St. Louis 04-14-1925
Jimmy Wasdell Washington 05-03-1939
NL John Carbine Louisville 5 04-29-1876
Roger Connor Troy 05-27-1882
Dude Esterbrook Buffalo 07-27-1880
Everett Mills Hartford 10-07-1876
George Zettlein Philadelphia 06-22-1876
UA Jack Gorman Kansas City 5 06-28-1884
Joe Quinn St. Louis 07-04-1884
Most Errors
In Any Inning by a First Baseman
AL Catfish Metkovich Boston 3 04-17-1945
7th Inning
Brandon Moss Oakland 06-23-2012
6th Inning
Tommy McCraw Chicago 05-03-1968
3rd Inning
Willie Upshaw Toronto 07-01-1986
5th Inning
NL Dolph Camilli Philadelphia 3 08-02-1935
1st Inning
Jack Clark St. Louis 05-25-1987
2nd Inning
Al Oliver Pittsburgh 05-23-1969
4th Inning
Most Consecutive
Errorless Games
(In A Career by a First Baseman)
AL Kevin Youkilis Boston 238 07-05-2006
Boston 06-06-2008
NL Steve Garvey San Diego 193 06-26-1983
San Diego 04-14-1985
ML Casey Kotchman Los Angeles [AL] 274 06-21-2008
Atlanta [NL] thru
Boston [AL]
Seattle [AL] 08-20-2010
Most Consecutive
Errorless Games
(In A Season by a First Baseman)
AL Kevin Youkilis Boston 135 04-02-2007
Boston 09-30-2007
NL Steve Garvey San Diego 159 04-03-1984
San Diego 09-29-1984
Error Records for First Basemen by Baseball Almanac
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

Did you know that since 1900, not one major league ballplayer has ever had more than four errors in a nine-inning game while playing first base?

In the Union Association, Joe Quinn of the St. Louis Maroons played in one-hundred games in 1884, and set the all-time Major League record for most errors in a season by a first baseman with sixty-two!

On May 1, 1920, Walter Holke of Boston and Ed Konetchy of Brooklyn played in a twenty-six inning game and set the Major League record for longest single game ever played without a single error at first base by either first baseman.