MLB Single-Season Total Bases Record Progression
Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.
The MLB single-season total bases record is 457, set by Babe Ruth in 1921. It has stood for 104 years. The mark has been raised 10 times since 1871.
Record Holders
11 marks since 1871| Year | Player | TB | Stood for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 |
 Babe Ruth
|
457 | still standing |
| 1920 |
 George Sisler
|
399 | 1 year |
| 1894 |
 Hugh Duffy
|
374 | 26 years |
| 1887 |
 Tip O'Neill
|
357 | 7 years |
| 1886 |
 Dave Orr
|
301 | 1 year |
| 1884 |
 Fred Dunlap
|
279 | 2 years |
| 1883 |
 Dan Brouthers
|
243 | 1 year |
| 1875 |
 Cal McVey
|
201 | 8 years |
| 1873 |
 Ross Barnes
|
197 | 2 years |
| 1872 |
Ross Barnes
|
134 | 1 year |
| 1871 | Levi Meyerle | 91 | 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.