Single Season Leaders for Intentional Bases on Balls in the National League

An intentional base-on-balls is an officially recognized statistic (since 1955) that counts the number of times a batter reaches first base after accepting four intentionally wide pitches outside the strike zone. Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-hundred (100) single season leaders in National League intentional bases on balls. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"I think Barry Bonds gets intentionally walked too much. I don't mean this as a fan of Bonds, which I am not. Nor do I mean it as a fan of the Giants, which I also am not. I don't even mean it as a general baseball fan, which I actually am. No, I simply mean it as someone interested in strategy and tactics. I think putting Barry Bonds on base nearly once a game is a tactical error, and I also think this can be proven mathematically." - Blog Columnist Martell on BabBlog.com (Should Barry Bonds Be Intentionally Walked, 2004)
Intentional Base on Balls
Single Season National League Leaders

'Top 100'
Barry Bonds 120 2004 San Francisco Giants NL 1
Barry Bonds 68 2002 San Francisco Giants NL 2
Barry Bonds 61 2003 San Francisco Giants NL 3
Willie McCovey 45 1969 San Francisco Giants NL 4
Barry Bonds 43 2007 San Francisco Giants NL 5
Barry Bonds 43 1993 San Francisco Giants NL  
Willie McCovey 40 1970 San Francisco Giants NL 7
Barry Bonds 38 2006 San Francisco Giants NL 8
Cliff Floyd 37 2002 Florida Marlins NL 9
Montreal Expos NL
Ryan Howard 37 2006 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Sammy Sosa 37 2001 Chicago Cubs NL  
Barry Bonds 35 2001 San Francisco Giants NL 12
Ryan Howard 35 2007 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Barry Bonds 34 1997 San Francisco Giants NL 14
Barry Bonds 32 1992 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 15
Vladimir Guerrero 32 2002 Montreal Expos NL  
Kevin Mitchell 32 1989 San Francisco Giants NL  
Barry Bonds 30 1996 San Francisco Giants NL 18
Barry Bonds 29 1998 San Francisco Giants NL 19
Dale Murphy 29 1987 Atlanta Braves NL  
Adolfo Phillips 29 1967 Chicago Cubs NL  
Ernie Banks 28 1960 Chicago Cubs NL 22
Mark McGwire 28 1998 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Albert Pujols 28 2006 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Jeff Bagwell 27 1997 Houston Astros NL 25
Miguel Cabrera 27 2006 Florida Marlins NL  
Will Clark 27 1988 San Francisco Giants NL  
Roberto Clemente 27 1968 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Albert Pujols 27 2005 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Tony Gwynn 26 1987 San Diego Padres NL 30
Fred McGriff 26 1991 San Diego Padres NL  
Stan Musial 26 1958 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Tim Raines 26 1987 Montreal Expos NL  
Duke Snider 26 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers NL  
Jim Thome 26 2004 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Barry Bonds 25 1991 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 36
Leo Cardenas 25 1965 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Howard Johnson 25 1988 New York Mets NL  
Ted Kluszewski 25 1955 Cincinnati Redlegs NL  
Willie McCovey 25 1973 San Francisco Giants NL  
Spike Owen 25 1989 Montreal Expos NL  
Bill Russell 25 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Mike Schmidt 25 1986 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Ted Simmons 25 1977 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Willie Stargell 25 1967 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Warren Cromartie 24 1980 Montreal Expos NL 46
Leon Durham 24 1985 Chicago Cubs NL  
Brian Giles 24 2002 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Luis Gonzalez 24 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks NL  
Vladimir Guerrero 24 2001 Montreal Expos NL  
Eddie Murray 24 1989 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Dave Parker 24 1985 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Rusty Staub 24 1968 Houston Astros NL  
Garry Templeton 24 1985 San Diego Padres NL  
Dave Winfield 24 1979 San Diego Padres NL  
Hank Aaron 23 1968 Atlanta Braves NL 56
Johnny Bench 23 1972 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Miguel Cabrera 23 2007 Florida Marlins NL  
Orlando Cepeda 23 1967 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Will Clark 23 1992 San Francisco Giants NL  
Chili Davis 23 1986 San Francisco Giants NL  
Vladimir Guerrero 23 2000 Montreal Expos NL  
Chipper Jones 23 2002 Atlanta Braves NL  
Derrek Lee 23 2005 Chicago Cubs NL  
Fred McGriff 23 1992 San Diego Padres NL  
Dave Parker 23 1978 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Dave Rader 23 1973 San Francisco Giants NL  
Frank Robinson 23 1961 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Garry Templeton 23 1984 San Diego Padres NL  
Lance Berkman 22 2006 Houston Astros NL 70
Barry Bonds 22 1995 San Francisco Giants NL  
Barry Bonds 22 2000 San Francisco Giants NL  
Barry Bonds 22 1989 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Shawn Green 22 2002 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Vladimir Guerrero 22 2003 Montreal Expos NL  
Todd Helton 22 2000 Colorado Rockies NL  
Todd Helton 22 2005 Colorado Rockies NL  
Ted Kluszewski 22 1956 Cincinnati Redlegs NL  
Albert Pujols 22 2007 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Ted Simmons 22 1979 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Willie Stargell 22 1973 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Hank Aaron 21 1971 Atlanta Braves NL 82
Ernie Banks 21 1961 Chicago Cubs NL  
Andre Dawson 21 1990 Chicago Cubs NL  
Prince Fielder 21 2007 Milwaukee Brewers NL  
Todd Helton 21 2002 Colorado Rockies NL  
Todd Helton 21 2003 Colorado Rockies NL  
Willie McCovey 21 1971 San Francisco Giants NL  
Mark McGwire 21 1999 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Eddie Murray 21 1990 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Mike Piazza 21 1996 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Ted Sizemore 21 1977 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Willie Stargell 21 1974 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Rusty Staub 21 1967 Houston Astros NL  
Darryl Strawberry 21 1988 New York Mets NL  
Garry Templeton 21 1986 San Diego Padres NL  
Hank Aaron 20 1961 Milwaukee Braves NL 97
Jeff Bagwell 20 1996 Houston Astros NL  
Ernie Banks 20 1959 Chicago Cubs NL  
Lance Berkman 20 2002 Houston Astros NL 100
Bobby Bonilla 20 1989 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Glenn Davis 20 1988 Houston Astros NL  
Carlos Delgado 20 2005 Florida Marlins NL  
Tony Gwynn 20 1990 San Diego Padres NL  
Chipper Jones 20 2001 Atlanta Braves NL  
Eddie Mathews 20 1955 Milwaukee Braves NL  
Willie Mays 20 1956 New York Giants NL  
Willie McCovey 20 1968 San Francisco Giants NL  
Dale Murphy 20 1984 Atlanta Braves NL  
Adolfo Phillips 20 1968 Chicago Cubs NL  
Frank Robinson 20 1964 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Frank Robinson 20 1963 Cincinnati Reds NL  
Bill Russell 20 1973 Los Angeles Dodgers NL  
Willie Stargell 20 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Joe Torre 20 1971 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Larry Walker 20 1993 Montreal Expos NL  
Billy Williams 20 1972 Chicago Cubs NL  
Dave Winfield 20 1978 San Diego Padres NL  
Current Through End of 2007 Regular Season


Did you know that the difference between the American and National League leaders for intentional bases on balls is eighty seven (87)? Consider now the totals for each respectively: thirty-three (33) and one-hundred twenty (120). Are Willie McCovey, Sammy Sosa & Barry Bonds truly more feared at the plate than their American League counterparts? Tell us on Baseball Fever.

The code to write the single season intentional bases on balls league splits was developed in 2005, launched during 2006 and made possible by your support — please continue helping us create these kinds of pages by supporting our site.

The American League single season record for intentional bases on balls was set in 1957 by Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox then tied in 1993 by John Olerud of the Toronto Blue Jays. The National League single season record for intentional bases on balls is on this page. Is either the Career Leader for Intentional Bases on Balls?
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