Before May 22, 1970, Babe Ruth had the most bases on balls, with 2,062 bases on balls.

Interpreted as:

most walks by a player through may 21, 1970

	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	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
12	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
13	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
14	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
15	Willie Mays W. Mays	1,209	2,596	9,649	1,849	2,958	467	132	608	1,732	37	1,239	307	94	10,984	5,513	1,207	7	82	173	223	.307	.383	.571	.954
16	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
17	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
18	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
19	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
20	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
21	Harmon Killebrew H. Killebrew	1,110	1,730	5,918	1,014	1,559	214	19	458	1,178	43	1,271	15	12	7,123	3,185	691	0	52	104	155	.263	.381	.538	.919
22	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
23	Stan Hack S. Hack	1,093	1,938	7,277	1,239	2,193	363	81	57	642	21	466	165		8,508	2,889	501	117			39	.301	.394	.397	.791
24	Paul Waner P. Waner	1,093	2,550	9,460	1,627	3,152	605	191	113	1,316	38	376	104		10,766	4,478	909	175			45	.333	.404	.473	.878
25	Bob Johnson B. Johnson	1,077	1,863	6,920	1,239	2,051	396	95	288	1,283	24	851	96		8,049	3,501	779	28			102	.296	.393	.506	.899