List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders

In baseball statistics, a stolen base is credited to a baserunner when he successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball to home plate. Under Rule 5.06 of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Official Rules, a runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when he touches it before he is out. Such a play is considered a stolen base when they reach that base unaided by another event, including a hit, putout, or error, under Rule 9.07. Stolen bases were more common in baseball's dead-ball era, when teams relied more on stolen bases and hit and run plays than on home runs. Rickey Henderson holds the MLB career stolen base record with 1,406. He is the only MLB player to steal 1,000 bases. Following Henderson is Lou Brock with 938 stolen bases; Billy Hamilton is third on the all-time steals listing. Hamilton's career steals total varies by source, but all sources place him third on the list above Ty Cobb (897), Tim Raines (808), Vince Coleman (752), Arlie Latham (742), Eddie Collins (741), Max Carey (738), and Honus Wagner (723), who are the only other players to have stolen at least 700 bases. Coleman is the leader for retired players who are not members of the Hall of Fame. Brock held the all-time career stolen bases before being surpassed by Henderson in 1991. Brock had held the record since 1977. Before Brock, Hamilton held the record for eighty-one years, from 1897 to 1977. Before that, Latham held the record from 1887 to 1896. Latham was also the first player to collect 300 career stolen bases. With Kenny Lofton's retirement in 2007, 2008 was the first season since 1967 in which no active player had more than 500 career stolen bases. Between 2008 and 2010, no active player had more than 500 stolen bases until Juan Pierre collected his 500th stolen base on August 5, 2010. He was the leader in stolen bases for active players until his retirement at the end of the 2013 season. Since Ichiro Suzuki retired early in the 2019 season, no active player has topped 400 steals. As of the 2025 season, no active player is in the list of top 100 base stealers.