All-Time MLB On-Base Percentage Leaders

Ted Williams is the all-time MLB leader in on-base percentage with .482, 8 points clear of Babe Ruth (.474). He did it in 19 seasons, from 1939 to 1960. The top ten runs from .482 down to .434.

Career rate stats are limited to players with 3,000+ plate appearances, the usual bar for all-time rate leaderboards. That is a raw total rather than a share of the schedule, so it falls unevenly across eras. Negro League seasons ran roughly 25 to 70 games against 154 or more in the American and National Leagues, and only 26 of 2,362 Negro League batters reach 3,000 plate appearances. Josh Gibson is one of the players it excludes: his .372 average and 1.175 OPS are the highest on record, on 2,621 plate appearances. Show all players

All-time MLB leader Ted Williams 1939–1960 · 19 seasons

.482 On-Base Percentage .008 clear of Babe Ruth

Showing On-Base Percentage and the stats that give it context Full stat line

#	Player	Seasons	OBP	G	AB	H	BB
1	Ted Williams	1939–1960 (19)	.482	2,292	7,706	2,654	2,021
2	Babe Ruth	1914–1935 (22)	.474	2,503	8,398	2,873	2,062
3	John McGraw	1891–1907 (17)	.466	1,100	3,924	1,309	836
4	Billy Hamilton	1888–1901 (14)	.455	1,594	6,283	2,164	1,189
5	Oscar Charleston	1920–1941 (18)	.449	884	3,188	1,157	469
6	Lou Gehrig	1923–1939 (17)	.447	2,164	8,001	2,721	1,508
7	Barry Bonds	1986–2007 (22)	.444	2,986	9,847	2,935	2,558
8	Bill Joyce	1890–1898 (8)	.435	906	3,310	971	721
9	JW Jud Wilson	1923–1945 (21)	.434	924	3,143	1,105	411
10	Rogers Hornsby	1915–1937 (23)	.434	2,259	8,173	2,930	1,038
11	Ty Cobb	1905–1928 (24)	.433	3,035	11,436	4,189	1,249
12	Jimmie Foxx	1925–1945 (20)	.428	2,317	8,134	2,646	1,452
13	Tris Speaker	1907–1928 (22)	.428	2,789	10,195	3,514	1,381
14	Eddie Collins	1906–1930 (25)	.424	2,826	9,949	3,315	1,499
15	Ferris Fain	1947–1955 (9)	.424	1,151	3,930	1,139	904
16	Dan Brouthers	1879–1904 (19)	.423	1,676	6,726	2,303	840
17	Shoeless Joe Jackson	1908–1920 (13)	.423	1,332	4,981	1,772	519
18	Max Bishop	1924–1935 (12)	.423	1,338	4,494	1,216	1,153
19	Mickey Mantle	1951–1968 (18)	.421	2,401	8,102	2,415	1,733
20	Mickey Cochrane	1925–1937 (13)	.419	1,482	5,169	1,652	857
21	Frank Thomas	1990–2008 (19)	.419	2,322	8,199	2,468	1,667
22	Edgar Martinez	1987–2004 (18)	.418	2,055	7,213	2,247	1,283
23	Turkey Stearnes	1923–1940 (18)	.418	999	3,829	1,334	415
24	Stan Musial	1941–1963 (22)	.417	3,026	10,972	3,630	1,599
25	Cupid Childs	1888–1901 (13)	.416	1,457	5,622	1,721	991
26	Wade Boggs	1982–1999 (18)	.415	2,440	9,180	3,010	1,412
27	Jesse Burkett	1890–1905 (16)	.415	2,067	8,426	2,850	1,029
28	Juan Soto	2018–2026 (9)	.415	1,207	4,257	1,196	974
29	Todd Helton	1997–2013 (17)	.414	2,247	7,962	2,519	1,335
30	Mel Ott	1926–1947 (22)	.414	2,730	9,456	2,876	1,708
31	Roy Thomas	1899–1911 (13)	.413	1,470	5,296	1,537	1,042
32	Lefty O'Doul	1919–1934 (11)	.413	970	3,264	1,140	333
33	Mule Suttles	1924–1944 (21)	.412	922	3,264	1,111	380
34	Hank Greenberg	1930–1947 (13)	.412	1,394	5,193	1,628	852
35	Ed Delahanty	1888–1903 (16)	.411	1,837	7,510	2,597	742
36	Manny Ramirez	1993–2011 (19)	.411	2,302	8,244	2,574	1,329
37	Jackie Robinson	1945–1956 (11)	.410	1,418	5,006	1,568	756
38	Aaron Judge	2016–2026 (11)	.410	1,211	4,342	1,262	860
39	Charlie Keller	1939–1952 (13)	.410	1,170	3,790	1,085	784
40	Eddie Stanky	1943–1953 (11)	.410	1,259	4,301	1,154	996
41	Harry Heilmann	1914–1932 (17)	.410	2,148	7,787	2,660	856
42	Joey Votto	2007–2023 (17)	.409	2,056	7,252	2,135	1,365
43	Roy Cullenbine	1938–1947 (10)	.408	1,181	3,879	1,072	853
44	Jake Stenzel	1890–1899 (9)	.408	768	3,031	1,024	300
45	Jeff Bagwell	1991–2005 (15)	.408	2,150	7,797	2,314	1,401
46	Willie Wells	1924–1948 (21)	.407	1,052	3,973	1,304	489
47	Denny Lyons	1885–1897 (13)	.407	1,123	4,300	1,334	623
48	Riggs Stephenson	1921–1934 (14)	.407	1,310	4,508	1,515	494
49	Lance Berkman	1999–2013 (15)	.406	1,879	6,491	1,905	1,201
50	Arky Vaughan	1932–1948 (14)	.406	1,817	6,622	2,103	937

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