List of Major League Baseball consecutive games played leaders
To compile a streak of consecutive games in Major League Baseball, a player must appear in every game played by his team. The streak is broken if the team completes a game in which the player neither takes a turn at bat nor plays a half-inning in the field.
The record—2,632 consecutive games, a streak compiled over more than 16 years—is held by Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles, and is considered to be one of the league's unbreakable records. Ripken surpassed Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees, whose record of 2,130 consecutive games had stood for 56 years. Before Gehrig, the record was held by Everett Scott (1,307 consecutive games), a shortstop with the Red Sox and Yankees whose streak ended in 1925, less than a month before Gehrig's began. Scott broke the record held by George Pinkney: 577 consecutive games from 1885 to 1890.
The record for a National League player is held by Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres (1975–1983); Garvey's 1,207-game streak is less than half the length of Ripken's. Previous holders of the National League record include Billy Williams of the Chicago Cubs (1963–1970), Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–1957), and Gus Suhr of the Pittsburgh Pirates (1931–1937).
Of the top 17 streaks on this list, nine were compiled by members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Two others are separate streaks compiled by Pete Rose, who was named one of the top 30 players of the 20th century but is banned from the Hall of Fame.