At least 1,200 career BB (Walks): Williams, Bonds, Ruth walked in 20% of Plate Appearances (PA). Barf.

2,000 times at least 4 walks to a batter in a game; 127 times batter homered. Fix the damn Walk rule!  Thursday, June 12, 2025

Who the heck wanted Ted Williams, Barry Bonds or Babe Ruth to walk in 20% of their Plate Appearances (PA)? It's bad enough that they come up only every 9 batters. But if they walk, it's like every 18. If they walk twice in a row, it's every 27. Read the post above for another perspective.

And this for an effective and reasonable rule change that still keeps the basic junk that is a 150 year old team sport:

Fix walk rule: option to pinch run and batter gets new Plate Appearance.  Monday, August 12, 2024

Below are the 62 batters with at least 1,200 career Bases on Balls (BB). On the left, they are sorted by BB. On the right they are sorted by BB/PA (BB%).

20 of the 62 batters walk in at least 15% of their PA. Only three walk in fewer than 10% of PA.

On the right, the only non Home Run hitter among the top 8 is Eddie Yost, "the walking man".

Full data can be viewed at this link. Data was derived from stathead.com/baseball via baseball-reference.com.

Rk	Player	BB	BB/PA		Rk	Player	BB	BB/PA
1	Barry Bonds	2,558	20.29%		1	Ted Williams	2,021	20.64%
2	Rickey Henderson	2,190	16.41%		2	Barry Bonds	2,558	20.29%
3	Babe Ruth	2,062	19.40%		3	Babe Ruth	2,062	19.40%
4	Ted Williams	2,021	20.64%		4	Eddie Yost	1,614	17.59%
5	Joe Morgan	1,865	16.46%		5	Mickey Mantle	1,733	17.49%
6	Carl Yastrzemski	1,845	13.19%		6	Mark McGwire	1,317	17.19%
7	Jim Thome	1,747	16.94%		7	Jim Thome	1,747	16.94%
8	Mickey Mantle	1,733	17.49%		8	Frank Thomas	1,667	16.55%
9	Mel Ott	1,708	15.05%		9	Joe Morgan	1,865	16.46%
10	Frank Thomas	1,667	16.55%		10	Rickey Henderson	2,190	16.41%
11	Eddie Yost	1,614	17.59%		11	Harmon Killebrew	1,559	15.85%
12	Darrell Evans	1,605	14.95%		12	Adam Dunn	1,317	15.81%
13	Stan Musial	1,599	12.57%		13	Joey Votto	1,365	15.61%
14	Pete Rose	1,566	9.86%		14	Lou Gehrig	1,508	15.60%
15	Harmon Killebrew	1,559	15.85%		15	Lance Berkman	1,201	15.37%
16	Chipper Jones	1,512	14.25%		16	Jason Giambi	1,366	15.33%
17	Lou Gehrig	1,508	15.60%		17	Jack Clark	1,262	15.33%
18	Mike Schmidt	1,507	14.98%		18	Jim Wynn	1,224	15.28%
19	Eddie Collins	1,499	12.40%		19	Mel Ott	1,708	15.05%
20	Bobby Abreu	1,476	14.64%		20	Jimmie Foxx	1,452	15.00%
21	Gary Sheffield	1,475	13.47%		21	Mike Schmidt	1,507	14.98%
22	Willie Mays	1,464	11.71%		22	Darrell Evans	1,605	14.95%
23	Jimmie Foxx	1,452	15.00%		23	Jeff Bagwell	1,401	14.86%
24	Eddie Mathews	1,444	14.30%		24	Edgar Martínez	1,283	14.79%
25	Frank Robinson	1,420	12.09%		25	Ken Singleton	1,263	14.76%
26	Wade Boggs	1,412	13.15%		26	Bobby Abreu	1,476	14.64%
27	Henry Aaron	1,402	10.06%		27	Carlos Santana	1,310	14.49%
28	Jeff Bagwell	1,401	14.86%		28	Tony Phillips	1,319	14.48%
29	Dwight Evans	1,391	13.16%		29	Eddie Mathews	1,444	14.30%
30	Tris Speaker	1,381	11.49%		30	Chipper Jones	1,512	14.25%
31	Reggie Jackson	1,375	12.04%		31	Todd Helton	1,335	14.12%
32	Albert Pujols	1,373	10.53%		32	John Olerud	1,275	14.07%
33	Jason Giambi	1,366	15.33%		33	Willie McCovey	1,345	13.88%
34	Joey Votto	1,365	15.61%		34	Manny Ramírez	1,329	13.60%
35	Rafael Palmeiro	1,353	11.23%		35	Gary Sheffield	1,475	13.47%
36	Willie McCovey	1,345	13.88%		36	Carl Yastrzemski	1,845	13.19%
37	Álex Rodríguez	1,338	10.96%		37	Dwight Evans	1,391	13.16%
38	Todd Helton	1,335	14.12%		38	Wade Boggs	1,412	13.15%
39	Eddie Murray	1,333	10.40%		39	Willie Randolph	1,243	13.14%
40	Tim Raines	1,330	12.84%		40	David Ortiz	1,319	13.07%
41	Manny Ramírez	1,329	13.60%		41	Tim Raines	1,330	12.84%
42	David Ortiz	1,319	13.07%		42	Fred McGriff	1,305	12.83%
43	Tony Phillips	1,319	14.48%		43	Pee Wee Reese	1,210	12.77%
44	Adam Dunn	1,317	15.81%		44	Luke Appling	1,302	12.70%
45	Mark McGwire	1,317	17.19%		45	Stan Musial	1,599	12.57%
46	Ken Griffey Jr.	1,312	11.61%		46	Eddie Collins	1,499	12.40%
47	Carlos Santana	1,310	14.49%		47	Frank Robinson	1,420	12.09%
48	Fred McGriff	1,305	12.83%		48	Reggie Jackson	1,375	12.04%
49	Luke Appling	1,302	12.70%		49	Willie Mays	1,464	11.71%
50	Edgar Martínez	1,283	14.79%		50	Ken Griffey Jr.	1,312	11.61%
51	Al Kaline	1,277	11.01%		51	Tris Speaker	1,381	11.49%
52	John Olerud	1,275	14.07%		52	Rafael Palmeiro	1,353	11.23%
53	Ken Singleton	1,263	14.76%		53	Rusty Staub	1,255	11.18%
54	Jack Clark	1,262	15.33%		54	Al Kaline	1,277	11.01%
55	Miguel Cabrera	1,258	10.66%		55	Álex Rodríguez	1,338	10.96%
56	Rusty Staub	1,255	11.18%		56	Miguel Cabrera	1,258	10.66%
57	Ty Cobb	1,249	9.53%		57	Albert Pujols	1,373	10.53%
58	Willie Randolph	1,243	13.14%		58	Eddie Murray	1,333	10.40%
59	Jim Wynn	1,224	15.28%		59	Henry Aaron	1,402	10.06%
60	Dave Winfield	1,216	9.84%		60	Pete Rose	1,566	9.86%
61	Pee Wee Reese	1,210	12.77%		61	Dave Winfield	1,216	9.84%
62	Lance Berkman	1,201	15.37%		62	Ty Cobb	1,249	9.53%
Rk	Player	BB	BB/PA		Rk	Player	BB	BB/PA
	max	2,558	20.64%			max	2,558	20.64%
	min	1,201	9.53%			min	1,201	9.53%