Which MLB players have the most career RBI?

Baseball's all-time RBI king is none other then the man many consider to still be the home run king, Hank Aaron. The right-handed slugger saw his homer record fall to a steroid-assisted Barry Bonds, but — thus far, anyway — his RBI mark has yet to be seriously challenged. Aaron drove in more than 100 runs in eleven different seasons to finish with a grand total of 2,297. He's also MLB's all-time leader in total bases, with 6,856. 

Had Albert Pujols chosen to continue playing deeper into his 40's it's possible he could have potentially threatened Aaron's mark, but after 22 terrific seasons in the major leagues it's safe to say he'd already accomplished enough. The Dominican Republic-born slugger was one of the greatest right-handed run producers the game had ever seen, contributing triple-digit RBI totals in 14 different seasons. He was named the MVP of the National League three times, and has a seat in Cooperstown waiting for him the moment he becomes eligible.

Babe Ruth is arguably the most famous baseball player ever, and thus, it probably doesn't surprise you all that much to see his name on a prestigious list such as this one. In his 22 seasons in the major leagues, Ruth was an absolute force, driving in more than 100 runs 13 times. He led the league in home runs on 12 different occasions, and even today is still baseball's all-time leader in SLG%, OPS, and OPS+. 

Alex Rodriguez was a lot of things during his 22 seasons in the big leagues, and an elite run producer was certainly one of them. Splitting his career between Seattle, Texas, and the Bronx, A-Rod drove in 2,086 runs — the fourth most all-time — and was consistently one of the most feared hitters in the sport. He racked up north of 100 RBI in 14 different seasons, and led the league in the category twice. 

Cap Anson debuted all the way back in 1871 with a team you've almost certainly never heard of: the Rockford Forest Guys. Seeing him sandwiched on this list by modern-day superstars Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds is a little comical, but it shouldn't detract from just how phenomenal he was during his era. Despite not being much of a power hitter, Anson led the league in RBI eight times and earned four batting titles during his 27-season career. 

Whether you believe it to be legitimate or not, Barry Bonds' 762 major league home runs are the all-time MLB record. And I have a feeling that if you are in the contingent that believes his mark is invalid, you'll probably also scoff at his 1,996 RBI total that slots him sixth in history. Regardless of the individual reader's opinion on baseball's steroid era, it's hard to argue against Bonds being one of the most prolific run producers the sport has ever seen. He drove in more than 100 runs in 12 different seasons, and led the league in the category in 1993 — long before the PED scandal that tainted the late '90s and early 2000s. 

Yankees legend Lou Gehrig is perhaps best known now for the devastating disease named after him, but let's not forget just how dominant he was in the batter's box. During his 17-year career he slashed a remarkable .340/.447/.632 with 493 home runs, and most relevant to this gallery, 1,995 RBI. He drove in more than 100 runs in 13 consecutive seasons from '26-'38 and was one of the primary reasons the Yankees won seven World Series titles while he was on the team. 

Left-handed slugger Stan Musial is probably the greatest player in St. Louis Cardinals franchise history, which is saying something for a historic organization that has as much history as any club in Major League Baseball. Musial starred for St. Louis for 22 years and won an impressive seven batting titles. He took home three NL MVP awards, won three World Series rings, and drove in an eye-popping 1,951 runs. 

Ty Cobb was not a lethal power threat, but as an elite bat-to-ball hitter who played 24 seasons in the majors he was able to drive in more than his fair share of runs. Cobb won an unparalleled 12 batting titles and is still owns baseball's best lifetime batting average at .366. Constantly racking up hits helped him knock in more than 100 runs in seven different seasons, and he actually led the league in the category four times. 

Right-handed slugger Jimmie Foxx was the face of the Philadelphia Athletics for the first decade of his career, and when you add in what he was able to accomplish in Boston, the resume he put together is certainly eye-opening. In 20 major league seasons, Foxx slashed .325/.428/.609 with 534 home runs, and most relevant to this gallery, 1,922 RBI. He delivered triple-digit RBI totals in 13 consecutive seasons from 1929-41, and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1951. 

Eddie Murray bounced around the league more than most of the players on this list, but he was an offensive force in pretty much every city he called home. In over 3,000 major league games, the powerful switch-hitter slashed a tremendous .287/.359/.476. He's a member of the exclusive 500+ home run club, and drove in 1,917 runs at the sport's highest level. 

Outfielder Willie Mays seems to find his way onto every list discussing all-time accomplishments, so why should this RBI gallery be any different? The longtime Giants center fielder starred in the big leagues for more than two decades, and for the majority of his career was one of the very best players in the game. He won two MVP awards, a batting title, and 12 Gold Gloves, and continually represented the National League in the All-Star Game. He also contributed 10 seasons with more than 100 RBI, and the 1,909 runs he drove in in total rank him 12th in history. 

Next up on the list is the recently retired Miguel Cabrera, who will be remembered as one of the absolute best right-handed run producers our sport has ever seen. Cabrera began his career in Miami before spending the last 16 years in Detroit, and while he tailed off towards the end, at his peak he was the best hitter in baseball. In 21 seasons he slashed a fantastic .306/.382/.518 with 511 home runs, 627 doubles, and most notably given this gallery, 1,881 RBI. He led the league in the category twice, and knocked in more than 100 runs in 12 different campaigns. 

Mel Ott played his entire 22-year career with the New York Giants and you would have been hard pressed to find a brighter star in baseball during his era. Ott slashed a lifetime .304/.414/.533 and crushed 511 home runs. He also drove in 1,860 runs for the Giants and led the league in RBI in 1934. He was a 12-time all-star, helped New York win the 1933 World Series, and was rightfully inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1951. 

Left-handed slugger Carl Yastrzemski is on the Mount Rushmore of Boston Red Sox legends, as for well over two decades he consistently wowed fans in New England. Yastrzemski finished with a lifetime .285/.379/.462 slash line to go along with 452 home runs and 646 doubles. Most relevant to this gallery, he compiled 1,844 RBI for Boston, which slots him comfortably at 15th on the all-time list. 

Just five RBI behind Yastrzemski is another historic name in Red Sox lore, left fielder Ted Williams. Known affectionately as the 'Splendid Splinter', Williams was masterful with a bat in his hands. He won an attention-grabbing six batting titles, and his .406 mark in 1941 is still the last .400+ season we've seen. Williams is a member of the 500+ home run club, and for the duration of his career was one of the sport's elite run producers. He led the American League in RBI four times, and finished his career with an impressive 1,839 runs batted in. 

When Ken Griffey Jr. debuted back in 1989, he looked like the closest thing to an absolute natural. The game came much easier to him as a 19-year-old rookie than it should have, and it soon became obvious the second-generation big leaguer was on a fast track towards superstardom. In the 22 years Griffey Jr. would go on to play at the sport's highest level, he slashed .284/.370/.538 with a phenomenal 630 home runs and 1,836 RBI. He knocked in more than 100 runs in eight times, and led the majors with 147 RBI in 1997. 

First baseman Rafael Palmeiro was a division rival of Griffey's for a long time, starring in Texas while Griffey was in Seattle. Palmeiro also played more than two decades in the major leagues, and while his legacy has been tainted by a less-than-convincing testimony at a congressional hearing on steroid use, it's hard to debate his run-producing prowess. The powerful left-handed slugger knocked in more than 100 runs in 10 out of 11 seasons from 1993-2003, is a member of the 500+ home run club, and is one of only 22 hitters to tally more than 1,800 major league RBI. 

Right-handed slugger Dave Winfield spent 22 years terrorizing opposing pitchers at the game's highest level, and there was a time when he was one of the most feared power hitters in the sport. He was a 12-time all-star and six-time Silver Slugger award recipient and was a dynamic run producer for all six of his major league teams. Winfield drove in more than 100 runs in eight different seasons and finished his career with a stellar 1,833 RBI. 

Manny Ramirez was easily one of the most entertaining players we've seen, but let's not let his goofiness detract from just how lethal he was in the batter's box. In just over 2,300 major league games, the Dominican Republic native slashed .312/.411/.585 with 555 home runs, 547 doubles, and most pertinent to this discussion, 1,831 RBI. While he never won an American League MVP award, he finished in the top five of the voting four times. He won the batting title in 2002, led the league in RBI in 1999, and was one of the primary reasons the Red Sox won a pair of World Series titles.

Outfielder Al Simmons inexplicably played for seven different major league teams, but his production vastly outperformed your typical journeyman. Simmons competed at the sport's highest level for two decades, slashing an excellent .334/.380/.535 with 995 extra-base hits and 1,828 RBI. He drove in more runs than anybody else in 1929, won a pair of batting titles, and was the proud owner of two World Series rings. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1953. 

Right-handed swinging Frank Robinson was an elite offensive force in nearly all of his 21 seasons in the major leagues, and his name still carries significant weight in baseball pundit's conversations nearly 50 years since he last played. Robinson is the only player in history to win MVP awards in both leagues, is a member of the 500+ home run club, and relevant to this discussion, he collected 1,812 RBI. 

There's a legitimate case to be made that David Ortiz is the most popular player in Boston Red Sox history, which is certainly saying something considering the team has been around for 123 years and owns such a magnificently rich history. In 20 years in the major leagues, Big Papi slashed a phenomenal .286/.380/.552 with 541 long balls and 1,768 RBI. He was a 10-time all-star, a seven-time Silver Slugger award winner, and is easily the greatest DH in the history of the sport. Ortiz played a prominent role in three Red Sox World Series victories and was an easy choice to be ushered into Cooperstown in 2022. 

Honus Wagner spent the vast majority of his career in a starring role with the Pittsburgh Pirates and is easily one of the most impactful players to ever come through the Steel City. In just under 2,800 major league games, Wagner slashed .328/.391/.467 with 996 extra-base hits and 723 stolen bases. A scrappy hitter who did not deposit a plethora of balls over the fence, he was still able to be a dynamic run producer, collecting 1,732 RBI in his career and leading the National League in the category four times. 

Right-handed swinging third baseman Adrian Beltre suited up for four different major league teams and drove in 99 or more runs in a season at least once for all four of them. Beltre was a feared middle-of-the-lineup hitter for over two decades, slashing a lifetime .286/.339/.480 in 2,933 career games. He crushed 477 home runs, collected 636 doubles, and was selected to four All-Star Games. He delivered five total campaigns with 100+ RBI, and finished his career with 1,707 runs batted in. 

Frank Thomas played a little with the Blue Jays and Athletics late in his career, but he's obviously best remembered for his tenure in the Windy City, where he put together a Hall of Fame resume with the White Sox. The right-handed slugger slashed .301/.419/.555 in 19 seasons in the big leagues, while blasting 521 home runs and finishing with a stellar 1,704 RBI. He won back-to-back MVP awards in 1993 and 1994, and while he never led the league in RBI, he did knock in more than 100 runs in 11 different seasons. 

Reggie Jackson is actually MLB's all-time leader in strikeouts, but as is the case with most sluggers that strike out a lot, he also delivered significant power and run creation. In 21 seasons at the sport's highest level, the Abington, PA native slashed .262/.356/.490 with 563 home runs, 463 doubles, and 228 stolen bases. He won the AL MVP award in 1973, contributed more than 100 RBI in six different seasons, and is one of only 27 players to knock in more than 1,702 runs in the big leagues.