Assist (baseball)


In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is credited to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional. For example, if a ball strikes a player's leg and bounces off him to another fielder, who tags the baserunner, the first player is credited with an assist. A fielder can receive a maximum of one assist per out recorded. An assist is also credited if a putout would have occurred, had another fielder not committed an error. For example, a shortstop might field a ground ball cleanly, but the first baseman might drop his throw. In this case, an error would be charged to the first baseman, and the shortstop would be credited with an assist.
If a pitcher records a strikeout where the third strike is caught by the catcher, the pitcher is not credited with an assist. However, if the batter becomes a baserunner on a dropped third strike and the pitcher is involved in recording a putout by fielding the ball and either tagging the runner out or throwing to first base for the out, the pitcher is credited with an assist just as any other fielder would be.
Assists are an important statistic for outfielders, as a play often occurs when a baserunner on the opposing team attempts to advance on the basepaths when the ball is hit to the outfield. It is the outfielder's job to field the ball and make an accurate throw to another fielder who is covering the base before the runner reaches it. The fielder then attempts to tag the runner out. This is especially important if the runner was trying to reach home plate, as the assist and tag prevent the baserunner from scoring a run. Assists are much rarer for outfielders than infielders because the play is harder to make, and also because outfielder assist situations occur less often than the traditional ground-ball assist for a shortstop, second baseman, or third baseman. However, as a result, outfield assists are worth far more than infield assists, and tell more about an outfielder's throwing arm than infielder assists do.
In recent years, some sabermetricians have begun referring to assists by outfielders as baserunner kills. Some sabermetricians are also using baserunner holds as a statistic to measure outfield arms. A baserunner hold occurs when the baserunner does not attempt to advance an extra base on an outfielder out of concern of being thrown out by a strong, accurate throw. This can be combined with baserunner kills for better accuracy, as runners often do not try for an extra base when an outfielder with an excellent arm is playing.

All-time single-season assists leaders by position

First base

  1. Albert Pujols: 185
  2. Bill Buckner: 184
  3. Mark Grace: 180
  4. Mark Grace: 167
  5. Sid Bream: 166
  6. Bill Buckner: 161
  7. Bill Buckner: 159
  8. Bill Buckner: 157
  9. Todd Helton: 156
  10. Mickey Vernon: 155
Career
  1. Eddie Murray: 1865
  2. Todd Helton: 1728
  3. Jeff Bagwell: 1703
  4. Keith Hernandez: 1682
  5. Mark Grace: 1665
  6. George Sisler: 1529
  7. Mickey Vernon: 1448
  8. Fred McGriff: 1447
  9. Albert Pujols: 1429
  10. Andrés Galarraga: 1376
  11. Fred Tenney: 1363
  12. Bill Buckner: 1351
  13. Jake Beckley: 1315

    Second base

  14. Frankie Frisch: 641
  15. Hughie Critz: 588
  16. Rogers Hornsby: 582
  17. Ski Melillo: 572
  18. Ryne Sandberg: 571
  19. Rabbit Maranville: 568
  20. Frank Parkinson: 562
  21. Tony Cuccinello: 559
  22. Johnny Hodapp: 557
  23. Lou Bierbauer: 555

    Shortstop

  24. Ozzie Smith: 621
  25. Glenn Wright: 601
  26. Dave Bancroft: 598
  27. Tommy Thevenow:597
  28. Iván DeJesús: 595
  29. Cal Ripken: 583
  30. Whitey Wietelmann: 581
  31. Dave Bancroft: 579
  32. Rabbit Maranville: 574
  33. Don Kessinger: 573

    Third base

  34. Graig Nettles: 412
  35. Graig Nettles: 410
  36. Brooks Robinson: 410
  37. Brooks Robinson: 405
  38. Harlond Clift: 405
  39. Mike Schmidt: 404
  40. Doug DeCinces: 399
  41. Brandon Inge: 398
  42. Clete Boyer: 396
  43. Mike Schmidt: 396
  44. Buddy Bell: 396

    Catcher

  45. Bill Rariden: 238
  46. Bill Rariden: 215
  47. Pat Moran: 214
  48. Oscar Stanage: 212
  49. Art Wilson: 212
  50. Gabby Street: 210
  51. Frank Snyder:204
  52. George Gibson: 203
  53. Bill Bergen: 202
  54. Claude Berry: 202

    Pitcher

  55. Ed Walsh: 227
  56. Will White: 223
  57. Ed Walsh: 190
  58. Harry Howell: 178
  59. Tony Mullane: 177
  60. John Clarkson: 174
  61. John Clarkson: 172
  62. Jack Chesbro: 166
  63. George Mullin: 163
  64. Ed Walsh: 160

    Left field

  65. Harry Stovey: 38
  66. Jimmy Sheckard: 36
  67. Jimmy Sheckard: 32
  68. Tilly Walker: 30
  69. Duffy Lewis: 29
  70. Duffy Lewis: 28
  71. Max Carey: 27
  72. Duffy Lewis: 27
  73. Bobby Veach: 26
  74. Goose Goslin: 26
  75. Billy Hamilton: 26
  76. Joe Kelley: 26
  77. Jimmy Sheckard: 26

    Center field

  78. Hardy Richardson: 45
  79. Charlie Duffee: 43
  80. Jim Fogarty: 42
  81. Tom Brown: 39
  82. Tom Brown: 37
  83. Jimmy Ryan: 36

    Right field

  84. Orator Shafer: 50
  85. Hugh Nicol: 48
  86. Chuck Klein: 44
  87. Tommy McCarthy: 44
  88. Jimmy Bannon: 43
  89. Orator Shafer: 41
  90. Jim Lillie: 41
  91. Mike Mitchell: 39
  92. Jim Fogarty: 39
  93. Tommy McCarthy: 38
  94. King Kelly: 38