High school baseball: How J.T. Realmuto broke the national RBI record that wasn't really the record

Jacob (J.T.) Realmuto of Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) has held the national RBI record, according to the National Federation of High Schools record book, for 12 years, driving in a whopping 119 in 2010.

Prior to Realmuto's record-setting season, the NFHS record book listed Nick Trapp of Marian (Woodstock, Ill.) holding the spring season record for six seasons with 104 RBI in 2004.

Except that he didn't.

In fact, he wasn't even close. The error occurred as a result of a typo on the Illinois High School Association website that lists team stats for the state tournament semifinalists. In 2004, Marian made the semifinals and the team's stats clearly show Trapp with 104 RBI. At some point, someone noticed Trapp's RBI total and sent it in to the NFHS record book.




That means that Realmuto didn't break Nick Trapp's RBI record in 2010, he broke the record of 98 RBI set in 1985 by David Mathes of Unicoi County (Tenn.) and tied by Mike Wilson of Marlow Central (Okla.) in 1994. Joe Little of Butner (Okla.) set the fall season record with 113 RBI in 1996.

Realmuto's season was truly impressive. In 42 games, the future Major League Baseball All-Star had a national record 88 base hits, 26 doubles and 28 home runs in knocking in 119 runs.

The first player to get over 75 RBI in a season is believed to be Chuck Redmon, who earned state player of the year honors in Oklahoma in 1971 with 85 RBI in Moore's 50-11 season. His national record lasted until 1985 when three players hit over 85 RBI, topped by Mathes of Unicoi County. Wilson tied Mathes's mark nine years later and Realmuto took over the record in 2010.

Only one player appears on the list three times. Drew Henson of Brighton (Mich.) hit 80 as a sophomore, 78 as a junior, and 83 as a senior. He is the nation's all-time career RBI leader with 290. Joey Gallo of Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Wilson of Marlow Central, Gavin Lavalley of Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.) all make the list twice.

Following is MaxPreps list of players with 75 or more RBI in a single season. Sources include state association record books, state coaches association record books and the MaxPreps leaderboards.



High school baseball single-season RBI leaders

No. 1-10
119 — Jacob Realmuto, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.), 2010
113 — Joe Little, Butner (Cromwell, Okla.), 1996*
98 — Hoke Granger, Northside Methodist Academy (Dothan, Ala.), 2011
98 — Mike Wilson, Central (Marlow, Okla.), 1994
98 — David Mathes, Unicoi County (Erwin, Tenn.), 1985
94 — Josh Gray, Rock Creek (Bokchito, Okla.), 1999*
91 — Brad Nelson, Bishop Garrigan (Algona, Iowa), 1999
90 — Mike Wilson, Central (Marlow, Okla.), 1996
90 — Clint Gobbell, Summertown (Tenn.), 2009
90 — Tyler Chilton, Rockingham County (Wentworth, N.C.), 2012

88 RBI
88 — Rickey Vanderburg, Rock Creek (Bokchito, Okla.), 1989*

87 RBI
87 — Mike Hensley, Latta (Ada, Okla.), 1985*
87 — Reece Creswell, Perryton (Texas), 2004
87 — Dylan Creech, Wolfe County (Campton, Ky.), 2010

86 RBI
86 — Kyle Wingfield, Rock Creek (Okla.), 1998*
86 — Preston Wilson, Bamberg-Ehrhardt (Bamberg, S.C.), 1992

85 RBI
85 — Chuck Redmon, Moore (Okla.), 1971
85 — Jose Trevino, John Paul II (Corpus Christi, Texas), 2011

84 RBI
Greg Thissen, Assumption (Davenport, Iowa), 1999
Wade Miller, Long (Skipperville, Ala.), 2000
Ben Moore, Cullman (Ala.), 2011
Terrell Franklin, Parker (Birmingham, Ala.), 2010



83 RBI
Tracy Jobes, Germantown (Tenn.), 1985
Brandon Gupton, Taylor County (Campbellsville, Ky.), 2001
Drew Henson, Brighton (Mich.), 1998

82 RBI
Zach Fish, Gull Lake (Richland, Mich.), 2011
Kyle Ward, Cameron (Okla.), 2000*
Charles McGrew, Cleveland (Okla.), 1981

81 RBI
Taylor Hawkins, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okia.), 2012
Josh Carney, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.), 1998
Patrick O'Keefe, Jr., Grand Ledge (Mich.), 1993
Corey Myers, Desert Vista (Phoenix), 1999
Nate Frese, Benton (Van Horne, Iowa), 1995
Will Renaker, Harrison County (Cynthiana, Ky.), 1997
Brad Allison, Harrisoun County (Cynthiana, Ky.), 1991
Tanner Sparks, Shawnee (Okla.), 2017

80 RBI
Michael Wheeler, Friendship Christian (Lebanon, Tenn.), 2004
Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 2012
Drew Henson, Brighton (Mich.), 1996
Bryan McCarty, River Valley (Three Oaks, Mich.), 1995
Gil Metzger, Mattoon (Ill.), 2004
William Earl Roberson, Pontotoc (Miss.), 1985
Christian Howe, Danville (Ky.), 2021

79 RBI
Steve Loudermilk, Putnam City West (Oklahoma City), 1989
Russ Reyes, Assumption (Davenport, Iowa), 1999
Zac Robertson, River Valley (Three Oaks, Mich.), 1997

78 RBI
Johnny Field, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 2010
Telvin Darden, Overton (Texas), 2010
Dustin Majewski, Brenham (Texas), 1999
Joey Gallo, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 2011
Drew Henson, Brighton (Mich.), 1997
Brett Blackwood, Hartselle (Ala.), 2013
Logan Williams, South Side (Bee Branch, Ark.), 2007
Trey George, Hackleburg (Ala.), 2007
Tyler Wells, Maxwell (Calif.), 2011

77 RBI
Jeremy Reed, Lookout Valley (Chattanooga, Tenn.), 1998
Connor Moore, Overton (Nashville, Tenn.), 2010
Brett Case, Preston (Okla.), 2002



76 RBI
Brady Birchmeier, New Lothrop (Mich.), 2021
Gavin Lavalley, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.), 2013
Darren Tawwater, Bishop McGuinness (Oklahoma City), 1989
Luke Maddox, Jackson Prep (Jackson, Miss.), 2009
John David Smelser, Hillcrest (Tuscaloosa, Ala.), 2007
Wayne Able, Davidson (Mobile, Ala.), 1982
Shon Walker, Harrison County (Cynthia, Ky.), 1992

75 RBI
Trai Meadows, Hartselle (Ala.), 2000
Dean Friery, Jacksonville (Ala.), 1994
Sam Travis, Providence Catholic (New Lenox, Ill.), 2011
Cole Grandfield, Lewis Central (Council Bluffs, Iowa), 2002
Kurt Belger, Creston (Iowa), 1991
Nick Delmonico, Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.), 2010
John Sanders, Tishomingo County (Iuka, Miss.), 1989
Gavin Lavalley, Carl Albert (Midwest City, Okla.), 2014
Gunnar Henderson, Morgan Academy (Selma, Ala.), 2019