Before 1980, Ty Cobb had the most runs, with 2,244 runs.

Interpreted as:

most runs by a player through 1979

	NAME	R	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	HBP	SO	SB	CS	PA	TB	XBH	SH	SF	IBB	GIDP	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	WRC	WRAA	WOBA	WRC+	BRAA
1	Ty Cobb T. Cobb	2,244	3,034	11,434	4,189	724	295	117	1,933	1,249	94	681	897		13,068	5,854	1,136	291				.366	.433	.512	.945	2534	1,093.6	.445	165	975.1
2	Hank Aaron H. Aaron	2,174	3,298	12,364	3,771	624	98	755	2,297	1,402	32	1,383	240	73	13,940	6,856	1,477	21	121	293	328	.305	.374	.555	.928	2453	936.4	.403	153	858.5
3	Babe Ruth B. Ruth	2,174	2,503	8,399	2,873	506	136	714	2,214	2,062	43	1,330	123		10,617	5,793	1,356	113				.342	.474	.690	1.164	2727	1,436.8	.513	197	1,369.6
4	Willie Mays W. Mays	2,062	2,992	10,881	3,283	523	140	660	1,903	1,464	44	1,526	338	103	12,493	6,066	1,323	13	91	192	251	.302	.384	.557	.941	2266	894.8	.409	154	802.7
5	Stan Musial S. Musial	1,949	3,026	10,972	3,630	725	177	475	1,951	1,599	53	696	78	31	12,712	6,134	1,377	35	53	127	243	.331	.417	.559	.976	2474	1,032.5	.435	158	896.7
6	Lou Gehrig L. Gehrig	1,888	2,164	8,001	2,721	534	163	493	1,995	1,508	45	790	102		9,660	5,060	1,190	106			2	.340	.447	.632	1.080	2265	1,046.8	.477	173	980
7	Tristram Speaker T. Speaker	1,882	2,789	10,195	3,514	792	222	117	1,531	1,381	103	394	436		11,988	5,101	1,131	309				.345	.428	.500	.928	2264	921	.436	157	812.3
8	Mel Ott M. Ott	1,859	2,730	9,456	2,876	488	72	511	1,860	1,708	64	896	89		11,337	5,041	1,071	109			38	.304	.414	.533	.947	2204	826.4	.430	156	794.2
9	Frank Robinson F. Robinson	1,829	2,808	10,006	2,943	528	72	586	1,812	1,420	198	1,532	204	77	11,743	5,373	1,186	17	102	218	270	.294	.389	.537	.926	2083	807.2	.404	153	717.1
10	Eddie Collins E. Collins	1,821	2,826	9,949	3,315	438	187	47	1,300	1,499	77	468	741		12,037	4,268	672	512				.333	.424	.429	.853	2032	693.4	.409	144	619.7
11	Ted Williams T. Williams	1,798	2,292	7,706	2,654	525	71	521	1,839	2,021	39	709	24	4	9,791	4,884	1,117	5	20	86	197	.344	.482	.634	1.116	2349	1,219.7	.493	188	1,067
12	Charlie Gehringer C. Gehringer	1,775	2,323	8,860	2,839	574	146	184	1,427	1,186	50	372	181		10,237	4,257	904	141			27	.320	.404	.480	.884	1797	516.6	.405	124	350
13	Jimmie Foxx J. Foxx	1,751	2,317	8,134	2,646	458	125	534	1,922	1,452	13	1,311	87		9,670	4,956	1,117	71			69	.325	.428	.609	1.038	2135	934.1	.460	158	780.8
14	Pete Rose P. Rose	1,747	2,668	10,824	3,372	612	116	154	1,013	1,180	78	931	155	120	12,176	4,678	882	38	56	134	180	.312	.381	.432	.814	1786	488.8	.366	128	388.7
15	Honus Wagner H. Wagner	1,739	2,794	10,439	3,420	643	252	101	1,732	963	125	735	723		11,748	4,870	996	221				.328	.391	.467	.858	2044	725.8	.408	147	650
16	Cap Anson C. Anson	1,722	2,277	9,104	3,012	529	124	97	1,306	953	32	146	247		10,123	4,080	750	34				.331	.396	.448	.844	2154	654.1	.397	134	525.3
17	Jesse Burkett J. Burkett	1,720	2,067	8,426	2,850	320	182	75	952	1,029	75	561	389		9,620	3,759	577	90				.338	.415	.446	.861	1921	592.9	.411	137	526.7
18	Willie Keeler W. Keeler	1,719	2,123	8,591	2,932	241	145	33	810	524	129	136	495		9,610	3,562	419	366				.341	.388	.415	.802	1640	406.6	.383	124	330.8
19	Billy Hamilton B. Hamilton	1,697	1,594	6,283	2,164	242	95	40	742	1,189	89	271	914		7,608	2,716	377	47				.344	.455	.432	.888	1716	578.6	.433	142	505.5
20	Bid McPhee B. McPhee	1,684	2,138	8,304	2,258	303	189	53	935	982	69	260	568		9,429	3,098	545	56				.272	.355	.373	.728	1594	183	.350	108	117.7
21	Mickey Mantle M. Mantle	1,676	2,401	8,102	2,415	344	72	536	1,509	1,733	13	1,710	153	38	9,909	4,511	952	14	47	126	113	.298	.421	.557	.977	1941	840	.428	170	821.8
22	Jimmy Ryan J. Ryan	1,643	2,014	8,172	2,513	451	157	118	1,093	804	83	295	419		9,124	3,632	726	65				.308	.375	.444	.820	1709	379	.387	119	266.7
23	George Van Haltren G. Van Haltren	1,642	1,990	8,043	2,544	286	161	69	1,015	871	38	385	583		9,017	3,359	516	65				.316	.386	.418	.803	1647	328.4	.384	119	259.3
24	Carl Yastrzemski C. Yastrzemski	1,640	2,862	10,447	3,009	565	56	404	1,613	1,639	36	1,248	168	112	12,229	4,898	1,025	12	95	169	279	.288	.383	.469	.852	1924	607.3	.379	133	452.5
25	Paul Waner P. Waner	1,627	2,549	9,459	3,152	605	191	113	1,309	1,091	38	376	104		10,762	4,478	909	174			45	.333	.404	.473	.878	1868	537	.403	135	487.9