Who holds the MLB record for most career stolen bases?

Rickey Henderson holds the MLB record for most career stolen bases, with 1,406. He is the only player in major-league history to steal at least 1,000 bases.

Henderson built the record during a 25-year career that began with the Oakland Athletics in 1979. He combined explosive acceleration with exceptional instincts, reading pitchers and timing his jumps so well that he could turn a routine single into a scoring opportunity. He led the American League in stolen bases 12 times and set the single-season record with 130 steals for Oakland in 1982.

Henderson broke Lou Brock’s previous career record of 938 stolen bases on 1 May 1991. He finished with 1,406, leaving a gap of 468 steals over Brock. Henderson also holds MLB records for career runs scored and leadoff home runs, reflecting how often he reached base and immediately pressured defenses.

The statistic is not the same as a perfect success rate: Henderson was caught stealing 335 times. The record counts successful steals across his regular-season career, while postseason steals and other baserunning achievements are tracked separately.