League Leaders Who Led?

MLB Single-Season Third Base Double Plays Record Progression

Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.

All-time career leaders →

The MLB single-season third base double plays record is 54, set by Graig Nettles in 1971. It has stood for 55 years. The mark has been raised 13 times since 1871.

SS ASS POSS DPSS FPCTSS RFSS GSS E2B A2B PO2B DP2B FPCT2B RF2B G2B E3B A3B PO3B DP3B FPCT3B RF3B G3B EC POC AC DPC FPCTC RFC GC E1B PO1B A1B DP1B FPCT1B RF1B G1B EOF POOF AOF FPCTOF RFOF GOF EP AP POP FPCTP RFP GP E

Record Holders

14 marks since 1871
Year Player 3B DP Stood for
1971 Graig Nettles Graig Nettles 54 still standing
1937 Harlond Clift Harlond Clift 50 34 years
1927 Sammy Hale Sammy Hale 46 10 years
1925 Gene Robertson Gene Robertson 41 2 years
1890 Billy Nash Billy Nash 37 35 years
1889 Tom Burns Tom Burns 30 1 year
1887 Denny Lyons Denny Lyons 29 2 years
1886 Frank Hankinson Frank Hankinson 26 1 year
1884 Ed Williamson Ed Williamson 25 2 years
1881 Frank Hankinson Frank Hankinson 21 3 years
1874 Harry Schafer Harry Schafer 17 7 years
1873 Harry Schafer Harry Schafer 11 1 year
1872 Bob Ferguson Bob Ferguson 8 1 year
1871 Harry Schafer Harry Schafer 7 1 year

The earliest marks here are records only in the sense that nobody had done better yet. Season length, schedule and the rules themselves have all changed, so a figure from the 1870s is not comparable with a modern one and is not offered as though it were.

Every Season

172 seasons
Year Leader 3B DP
2025 Manny Machado 34
2024 Matt Chapman 34
2023 Austin Riley 38
2022 Nolan Arenado 42
2021 Kyle Seager 43
2020 Nolan Arenado 19
2019 Nolan Arenado 43
2018 Kyle Seager 49
2017 Kyle Seager 46
2016 Kyle Seager 46
2015 Nolan Arenado 42
2014 Josh Donaldson 43
2013 Manny Machado 42
2012 Mike Moustakas 41
2011 Evan Longoria 35
2010 Evan Longoria 46
2009 Evan Longoria 43
2008 Kevin Kouzmanoff 34
2007 Ryan Zimmerman 39
2006 Eric Chavez 43
2005 Brandon Inge 42
2004 Tony Batista 35
2003 Tony Batista 33
2003 Eric Chavez 33
2003 Adrian Beltre 33
2002 Aaron Boone 42
2001 Mike Lowell 35
2000 Jeff Cirillo 41
1999 Jeff Cirillo 35
1998 Jeff Cirillo 45
1997 Vinny Castilla 41
1996 Vinny Castilla 43
1995 Travis Fryman 38
1994 Jeff King 27
1993 Matt Williams 34
1992 Matt Williams 33
1991 Gary Gaetti 39
1990 Gary Gaetti 36
1989 Bobby Bonilla 31
1988 Steve Lyons 36
1987 Wade Boggs 37
1986 Terry Pendleton 36
1986 Gary Gaetti 36
1985 Buddy Bell 35
1984 Wade Boggs 30
1983 Gary Gaetti 46
1982 Paul Molitor 48
1981 Doug DeCinces 31
1980 Doug DeCinces 41
1979 Mike Schmidt 36
1978 Mike Schmidt 34
1977 Ken Reitz 35
1976 Larry Parrish 35
1976 Jerry Royster 35
1975 Darrell Evans 41
1974 Darrell Evans 45
1973 Buddy Bell 44
1972 Rico Petrocelli 38
1971 Graig Nettles 54 new record
1970 Aurelio Rodriguez 41
1969 Aurelio Rodriguez 42
1968 Joe Foy 36
1967 Ken McMullen 38
1966 Ron Santo 36
1965 Clete Boyer 46
1964 Brooks Robinson 40
1963 Brooks Robinson 43
1962 Clete Boyer 41
1961 Frank Malzone 45
1960 Ken Boyer 37
1959 Frank Malzone 40
1958 Ken Boyer 41
1957 Frank Malzone 31
1956 Ken Boyer 37
1955 Andy Carey 37
1954 Jim Finigan 34
1953 Bobby Adams 39
1952 Gil McDougald 38
1951 George Kell 34
1950 Eddie Yost 45
1949 Johnny Pesky 48
1948 Johnny Pesky 35
1947 Frankie Gustine 35
1946 George Kell 27
1945 Steve Mesner 35
1945 Oscar Grimes 35
1944 Ken Keltner 37
1943 Bob Elliott 34
1942 Ken Keltner 38
1941 Ken Keltner 36
1940 Harlond Clift 32
1939 Ken Keltner 40
1938 Buddy Lewis 32
1937 Harlond Clift 50 new record
1936 Marv Owen 28
1935 Cecil Travis 29
1934 Pinky Higgins 34
1933 Art Scharein 31
1932 Pinky Whitney 31
1931 Willie Kamm 33
1930 Pinky Whitney 29
1929 Frank O'Rourke 30
1928 Les Bell 37
1927 Sammy Hale 46 new record
1926 Pie Traynor 32
1925 Pie Traynor 41
1925 Gene Robertson 41 new record
1924 Willie Kamm 31
1924 Pie Traynor 31
1923 Bernie Friberg 33
1922 Heinie Groh 25
1921 Howie Shanks 35
1920 Larry Gardner 32
1919 Home Run Baker 28
1918 Heinie Groh 37
1917 Heinie Groh 28
1916 Ossie Vitt 32
1916 Heinie Groh 32
1915 Heinie Groh 34
1914 Red Smith 28
1914 Bill McKechnie 28
1913 Terry Turner 27
1912 Home Run Baker 25
1911 Jimmy Austin 27
1910 Home Run Baker 35
1909 Art Devlin 21
1908 Hobe Ferris 27
1907 Dave Brain 27
1906 Dave Brain 26
1905 Emil Batch 22
1904 Lee Tannehill 22
1903 Ed Gremminger 20
1902 Harry Steinfeldt 29
1901 James Casey 25
1901 Bill Bradley 25
1900 Jimmy Williams 21
1900 Jimmy Collins 21
1899 Lave Cross 32
1898 Barry McCormick 31
1897 Jimmy Collins 20
1896 Charlie Irwin 28
1895 Billy Nash 27
1894 Lave Cross 24
1894 Billy Nash 24
1893 George Davis 27
1892 Billy Shindle 27
1891 Pete Gilbert 34
1890 Billy Nash 37 new record
1889 Tom Burns 30 new record
1888 Jumbo Davis 27
1887 Denny Lyons 29 new record
1886 Frank Hankinson 26 new record
1885 Ezra Sutton 18
1885 Ed Williamson 18
1884 Ed Williamson 25 new record
1883 Ed Williamson 20
1882 Ed Williamson 16
1881 Frank Hankinson 21 new record
1880 Roger Connor 10
1879 Hardy Richardson 13
1879 Ed Williamson 13
1878 Frank Hankinson 9
1877 Will Foley 9
1877 Cap Anson 9
1876 Joe Battin 8
1876 Harry Schafer 8
1876 Cap Anson 8
1875 Ezra Sutton 10
1874 Harry Schafer 17 new record
1873 Harry Schafer 11 new record
1872 Bob Ferguson 8 new record
1871 Harry Schafer 7 new record