Baseball Glossary › Games Played
Games Played (GP)
GP stands for games played, often shown as G in box scores and stat tables. A player is credited with a game played whenever he appears in a game at any point, as a starter or as a replacement. He does not need an at-bat: entering as a pinch-runner or a defensive substitute is enough.
Athletics example: Rickey Henderson
Rickey Henderson is credited with 3,081 games played across his major-league career, the A's portion included. See the full career line on the Rickey Henderson player page.
At-bats per game played = 10,961 / 3,081 = 3.56
Career MLB totals from our player database (MLB Stats API).
What to Know
Games played vs at-bats vs plate appearances: GP counts games, while at-bats and plate appearances count trips to the plate. A defensive replacement can add a game played with zero plate appearances, and a leadoff hitter can rack up five or more plate appearances in one game.
MLB.com notes that 162 games played usually means a player appeared in every game of the season, but a player can finish above 162 if he was traded mid-season or played in a tiebreaker game. Official Baseball Rule 9.20 also covers edge cases, such as crediting a game played in the batting statistics when a game is called after a substitute enters but before a pitch is thrown.
For pitchers, the related count is appearances. Rate stats such as runs batted in per game use games played as the denominator, so the number gives useful context for any counting stat.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does GP mean in baseball?
GP means games played. It counts every game in which a player appears, whether he starts or comes in as a substitute. Many stat tables shorten it to G.
Do you need an at-bat to get credit for a game played?
No. A player gets a game played for appearing at any point. He can enter as a pinch-runner or as a defensive replacement and still be credited, even if he never comes to the plate.
What is the difference between G and GP in baseball stats?
There is no difference. G and GP both stand for games played. MLB.com lists the stat as Games Played (G), while many other sites and scorebooks use GP.
Can a player play more than 162 games in a season?
Yes, though it is rare. MLB.com notes it can happen when a player is traded during the season and his new team has more games left, or when he plays in a tiebreaker game at the end of the season.
Does a pinch hitter get a game played?
Yes. Any appearance in a game counts, so a pinch hitter, pinch-runner or defensive substitute is credited with a game played just like a starter.
What is the difference between games played and games started?
Games played counts every game a player appears in. Games started only counts the games in which he is in the starting lineup, so games played is always equal to or higher than games started.
Related Terms
Sources
- MLB.com Glossary: Games Played (G)
- MLB.com Glossary: Appearance (App)
- Official Baseball Rules 2026 (MLB)
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