Before May 31, 1972, Babe Ruth had the most bases on balls, with 2,062 walks.

Interpreted as:

most career walks by a player through may 30, 1972

	NAME	BB	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	HBP	SO	SB	CS	PA	TB	XBH	SH	SF	IBB	GIDP	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
1	Babe Ruth B. Ruth	2,062	2,504	8,400	2,173	2,873	506	136	714	2,213	44	1,331	123		10,622	5,793	1,356	116				.342	.474	.690	1.164
2	Ted Williams T. Williams	2,018	2,292	7,706	1,799	2,654	525	71	521	1,839	39	709	24	5	9,788	4,884	1,117	5	20	89	201	.344	.482	.634	1.115
3	Mickey Mantle M. Mantle	1,733	2,401	8,101	1,675	2,415	344	72	536	1,509	12	1,718	152	42	9,907	4,511	952	14	47	126	113	.298	.420	.557	.977
4	Mel Ott M. Ott	1,720	2,730	9,455	1,859	2,876	488	72	511	1,865	64	895	89		11,348	5,041	1,071	109			38	.304	.415	.533	.948
5	Eddie Yost E. Yost	1,614	2,109	7,345	1,215	1,863	337	56	139	683	99	921	72	50	9,174	2,729	532	98	18	14	137	.254	.394	.372	.766
6	Stan Musial S. Musial	1,605	3,026	10,971	1,949	3,630	726	177	475	1,950	53	698	78	31	12,718	6,135	1,378	36	53	127	249	.331	.417	.559	.976
7	Eddie Collins E. Collins	1,533	2,825	9,955	1,822	3,311	438	187	47		77		741		12,081	4,264	672	516				.333	.426	.428	.854
8	Lou Gehrig L. Gehrig	1,511	2,164	8,001	1,888	2,721	534	163	493	1,998	46	789	102		9,664	5,060	1,190	106			2	.340	.448	.632	1.080
9	Jimmie Foxx J. Foxx	1,457	2,317	8,134	1,751	2,645	458	125	534	1,924	13	1,311	87		9,676	4,955	1,117	72			70	.325	.428	.609	1.038
10	Eddie Mathews E. Mathews	1,443	2,391	8,537	1,509	2,315	354	72	512	1,454	26	1,490	69	41	10,100	4,349	938	36	58	107	127	.271	.376	.509	.885
11	Willie Mays W. Mays	1,406	2,865	10,501	2,017	3,196	506	139	648	1,864	42	1,445	336	98	12,048	5,924	1,293	9	90	189	241	.304	.386	.564	.950
12	Tristram Speaker T. Speaker	1,393	2,792	10,199	1,881	3,515	794	221	117		105		437		12,011	5,102	1,132	314				.345	.429	.500	.929
13	Harmon Killebrew H. Killebrew	1,354	2,032	6,927	1,160	1,816	253	22	520	1,401	46	1,446	18	18	8,395	3,673	795	0	68	143	202	.262	.383	.530	.913
14	Luke Appling L. Appling	1,313	2,422	8,856	1,320	2,749	440	102	45	1,115	11	530	179		10,254	3,528	587	74			129	.310	.400	.398	.798
15	Ty Cobb T. Cobb	1,261	3,032	11,443	2,246	4,189	723	298	117		95		900		13,090	5,859	1,138	296				.366		.512
16	Pee Wee Reese P. Wee Reese	1,211	2,166	8,058	1,338	2,169	330	80	126	885	26	890	232	45	9,470	3,037	536	155	20	3	176	.269	.366	.377	.743
17	Richie Ashburn R. Ashburn	1,200	2,189	8,364	1,321	2,574	317	109	29	589	43	569	235	103	9,736	3,196	455	110	19	25	82	.308	.397	.382	.779
18	Charlie Gehringer C. Gehringer	1,193	2,323	8,860	1,775	2,839	574	146	184	1,434	51	372	182		10,244	4,257	904	140			27	.320	.404	.480	.885
19	Donie Bush D. Bush	1,180	1,948	7,204	1,280	1,806	185	75	9		29		407		8,760	2,168	269	347				.251	.358	.301	.659
20	Frank Robinson F. Robinson	1,177	2,367	8,592	1,617	2,589	466	68	510	1,581	178	1,267	196	75	10,049	4,721	1,044	14	88	189	242	.301	.393	.549	.942
21	Max Bishop M. Bishop	1,163	1,340	4,497	966	1,216	236	35	41	380	31	452	40		5,789	1,645	312	98				.270	.423	.366	.789
22	Al Kaline A. Kaline	1,162	2,519	9,054	1,477	2,716	448	73	366	1,449	50	894	130	65	10,400	4,408	887	43	91	125	247	.300	.379	.487	.866
23	Harry Hooper H. Hooper	1,146	2,311	8,783	1,432	2,463	390	161	75		76		375		10,255	3,400	626	250				.280	.368	.387	.755
24	Hank Aaron H. Aaron	1,125	2,748	10,565	1,924	3,301	565	95	647	1,979	29	1,171	235	70	11,843	5,997	1,307	19	105	259	281	.312	.377	.568	.944
25	Lu Blue L. Blue	1,099	1,615	5,912	1,151	1,696	320	108	44	692	44	437	151		7,223	2,364	472	168				.287	.402	.400	.802