Major League Baseball (MLB) and its participating clubs have retired various uniform numbers over the course of time, ensuring that those numbers are never worn again and thus will always be associated with particular players or managers of note. The use of numbers on uniforms to better identify one player from another, and hence to boost sales of scorecards, was tried briefly by the Cleveland Indians of 1916, but this failed. The first team to permanently adopt the practice was the New York Yankees of 1929. By 1932, all 16 major league clubs were issuing numbers, and by 1937, the leagues passed rules requiring it.
The Yankees' original approach was to simply assign the numbers 1 through 8 to the regular starting lineup in their normal batting order. Hence, Babe Ruth wore number 3 and Lou Gehrig number 4. The first major leaguer whose number was retired was Gehrig, in July 1939, following his retirement due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which became popularly known in the United States as Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Since then, over 150 other people have had their numbers retired, some with more than one team. This includes managers and coaches, as MLB is the only one of the major North American professional leagues in which the coaching staff wear the same uniforms as players. Three numbers have been retired in honor of people not directly involved on the playing field – all three for team executives. Some of the game's early stars, such as Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson, retired before numbers came into usage. Teams often celebrate their retired numbers and other honored people by hanging banners with the numbers and names. Early stars, as well as honored non-players, will often have numberless banners hanging along with the retired numbers. Because fewer and fewer players stay with one team long enough to warrant their number being retired, some players believe that getting their number retired is a greater honor than going into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ron Santo, upon his number 10 being retired by the Chicago Cubs on the last day of the 2003 regular season, enthusiastically told the Wrigley Field crowd as his #10 flag was hoisted, "This is my Hall of Fame!" Santo would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in July 2012, nearly two years after his death, after being voted in by the Veterans Committee.
List of all-time retired numbers Elected to the Baseball Hall of FameFord C. Frick Award winnerHonored as a broadcaster for the franchiseNumber retired league-wideNever played, managed, or coached for that particular franchiseNumber retired by a team for multiple players No.Player or other figureTeamDate1Phillies1Red Sox1Reds1Yankees1Pirates1Dodgers1Brewers1Cardinals1Tigers2White Sox2Tigers2Yankees2Dodgers2Cardinals3Guardians3White Sox3Twins3Rays3Braves3Yankees3Giants3Tigers4White Sox4Red Sox4Yankees4Pirates4Brewers4Giants4Dodgers4Orioles5Astros5Reds5Guardians5Royals5Yankees5Tigers5Orioles5Mets6Braves6Padres6Tigers6Cardinals6Twins6Red Sox6Yankees7Astros7Yankees7Twins7Rangers8Reds8Pirates8Yankees8Yankees8Orioles8Red Sox9Athletics9Yankees9Pirates9White Sox9Cardinals9Red Sox10Reds10Royals10Braves10Twins10Cardinals10Tigers10Yankees10Cubs10Rangers11Tigers11White Sox11Angels11Giants11Reds11Mariners11Pirates11Nationals12Rays13Reds13Astros13White Sox14Cubs14Cardinals14Phillies14Guardians14Mets14Dodgers14Twins14White Sox14Red Sox14Reds15Phillies15Yankees15Mets16Yankees16Mets16White Sox16Tigers17Cardinals17Rockies17Mets18Guardians18Reds18Mets19Guardians19Dodgers19Padres19White Sox19Brewers20Cardinals20Diamondbacks20Giants20Yankees20Orioles20Reds20Guardians20Phillies20Dodgers20Pirates20Royals21Pirates21Giants21Guardians21Yankees21Braves22Giants22Orioles23Tigers23Yankees23Cubs23Cardinals24Dodgers24Mariners24Athletics24Cardinals24Giants24Mets24Reds24Astros25Giants25Astros25Braves25Guardians26Angels26Red Sox26Rangers26Cubs27Red Sox27Athletics27Giants28Twins29Rangers29Twins29Angels29Braves30Giants30Angels31Cubs31Cubs31Braves31Mets31Padres32Phillies32Blue Jays32Yankees32Dodgers32Astros33Orioles33Astros33Pirates33Rockies34Brewers34Athletics34Phillies34Red Sox34Twins34Rangers34Astros34Athletics34Dodgers35Padres35Braves35White Sox36Twins36Mets36Giants36Phillies37Mets37Yankees39Dodgers40Pirates40Astros41Braves41Mets42Yankees42Dodgers42All MLB42Cardinals43Athletics44Brewers44Braves44Yankees44Giants45Cardinals45Red Sox46Yankees47Braves47Tigers49Astros49Yankees50Angels51Padres51Diamondbacks51Mariners51Mariners51Yankees52Yankees53Dodgers56White Sox66Rays72White Sox85Cardinals455Cleveland fansGuardiansHAASAthleticsKSMRockiesNYGiantsNYGiantsPPhilliesPPhilliesPPhilliesPPhilliesPPhilliesSHEA MetsSLCardinals🎤Cardinals🎤Dodgers🎤Dodgers🎤Giants🎤Giants🎤Giants🎤Mets🎤Mets
List of pending number retirements There are no current pending number retirements at this time. The most recent player to have his number retired was former pitcher CC Sabathia, whose number 52 was retired by the New York Yankees on September 25, 2026.
Former retired numbers It is very rare for a team to reissue a retired number and usually requires a special circumstance, such as the person for whom the number was retired returning to the team in a player, coach or manager role. Harold Baines provides one example of this when he returned to the White Sox multiple times. The White Sox also re-issued Luis Aparicio's number 11, with his permission, to fellow countryman Omar Vizquel in 2010–11.
In cases of franchise relocation, the handling of existing retired numbers is at the discretion of team management. The team may decide to continue honoring the retired numbers (as did the San Francisco Giants), or it may choose to make a "fresh start" and reissue the numbers (as the Washington Nationals have done).
The Cincinnati Reds returned Willard Hershberger's number 5 to circulation two years after his death. Cincinnati later re-retired the number to honor Johnny Bench.
When the Florida Marlins moved to their current stadium, LoanDepot Park, and were rebranded as the Miami Marlins, the number 5, which had been retired for the team's late first president Carl Barger, was returned to circulation because player Logan Morrison requested permission to wear the number to honor his father.
No.Player or other figureTeamDate5Marlins5Reds8Expos10Expos10Expos12Blue Jays30Expos
Retired in honor of multiple players The following numbers have been retired in honor of multiple players: Chicago Cubs, #31: retired in 2009 for Fergie Jenkins and Greg Maddux Cincinnati Reds, #5: retired in 1940 for Willard Hershberger who had died by suicide during the season; returned to service in 1942; retired in 1984 for Johnny Bench Montreal Expos, #10: retired for Rusty Staub in 1993; ceremony to honor #10 for Andre Dawson was held in 1997 New York Yankees, #8: retired in 1972 for Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra St. Louis Cardinals, #42: retired in 1997 by all teams in MLB for Jackie Robinson; ceremony to honor #42 for Bruce Sutter was held in 2006 New York Yankees, #42: retired in 1997 by all teams in MLB for Jackie Robinson (players already wearing the number could continue to do so by special arrangement); ceremony to honor #42 for Mariano Rivera was held in 2013 Oakland Athletics, #34: retired for Rollie Fingers in 1993; ceremony to honor #34 for Dave Stewart was held in 2022. Seattle Mariners #51: retired for Ichiro Suzuki in 2025; ceremony to honor #51 for Randy Johnson was held in 2026.
Retired by multiple teams A handful of players who had notable careers for multiple teams have had their numbers retired by each team. Frank Robinson's #20 was retired by the Reds, Orioles and the then-Indians. Rod Carew's #29 was retired by the Twins and Angels. Hank Aaron's #44 was retired by the Braves and Brewers. Reggie Jackson had his #9 retired by the Athletics, and his #44 retired by the Yankees. Rollie Fingers' #34 was retired by the Athletics and Brewers. Carlton Fisk had his #27 retired by the Red Sox, and his #72 retired by the White Sox. Greg Maddux's #31 was retired by the Cubs and Braves. Nolan Ryan had his #30 retired by the Angels, while his #34 is retired by the Astros and Rangers. Wade Boggs's #12 was retired by the then-Devil Rays, and his #26 is retired by the Red Sox. Roy Halladay's #32 was retired by the Blue Jays, and his #34 is retired by the Phillies. Jackie Robinson’s #42 has been retired by every team in MLB, due to him breaking the color barrier in baseball. Gil Hodges' #14 was retired by the Mets and Dodgers. Willie Mays' #24 was retired by the Giants and Mets. Randy Johnson's #51 has been retired by the Diamondbacks and Mariners.
Excluding Jackie Robinson, only Frank Robinson and Nolan Ryan have had their number(s) retired by three teams. Managers Casey Stengel and Sparky Anderson have also had numbers retired by two teams. Stengel's #37 was retired by the Yankees and Mets. Anderson's #10 was retired by the Reds, and his #11 was retired by the Tigers.
Alternative methods of recognition
A number of teams have formal or informal policies of only retiring numbers of players inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, although there is no league-wide uniformity and teams sometimes break their own guidelines. As an alternative to retiring numbers, many teams have established other means of honoring former players, such as team-specific halls of fame (Angels, Astros, Athletics, Braves, Brewers, Cardinals, Guardians, Mariners, Mets, Orioles, Padres, Rangers, Reds, Red Sox, and Twins) walls of fame (Giants and Phillies), a Ring of Honor (Nationals), or Level of Excellence (Blue Jays). In addition, several teams have kept certain numbers out of circulation since a player left but have not formally retired them. The Rangers introduced another means of honoring former players while preparing to open their current home of Globe Life Field in 2020. In December 2019, a few months before the park's opening, the team announced that all of its retired numbers would be incorporated into the park's posted dimensions.
The Montreal Expos franchise retired jerseys in honor of four players but returned the numbers to use upon moving to Washington, D.C., to begin play as the Washington Nationals in 2005, becoming the only MLB team with no retired numbers other than Jackie Robinson's No. 42. In 2010, the Nationals established a "Ring of Honor" which, , includes three of those Expos players (Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, and Tim Raines), along with the Expos' last and Nationals' first manager, Frank Robinson; Nationals players Iván Rodríguez, Jayson Werth, and Ryan Zimmerman; original Washington Senators (1901–1960) players Joe Cronin, Rick Ferrell, Goose Goslin, Bucky Harris, Walter Johnson, Heinie Manush, Sam Rice, Harmon Killebrew, and Early Wynn, as well as owner Clark Griffith; expansion Washington Senators (1961–1971) player Frank Howard; and Homestead Grays players Cool Papa Bell, Ray Brown, Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, Cumberland Posey, and Jud Wilson. The Nationals retired their first number, Zimmerman's No. 11, in 2022.
The Miami Marlins had previously retired #5 in honor of their first team president, the late Carl Barger, but returned it to use entering the 2012 season when they relocated to the venue now known as LoanDepot Park. , they are the only franchise with no retired numbers, aside from Robinson's #42.
In August 2024, the Minnesota Twins retired the letter W as a tribute to their origin as the Washington Senators during the 100-year anniversary of the Senators' World Series-winning team.
Numbers kept out of circulation