GuidesFrom the data
The players with the most teammates
Nobody shared a clubhouse with more people than the journeymen. The top ten in every sport, and why they're the best links in Teammate Chain.
By Austin · October 16, 2026
Some players spend a whole career with one team. Others pack a bag every year. For most of sports history, that second group has been seen as a footnote: journeymen, depth signings, veterans for the stretch run.
In one way, though, nobody beats them. Every new team means a new clubhouse full of teammates. Over a long career, that adds up to a huge number of people. We counted every distinct teammate of every player in the Teammate Chain data. In baseball, the leader is Rich Hill, who shared a roster with 944 different players.
Baseball
Almost the whole list is pitchers, and relievers above all. A reliever can be traded, released and signed again several times in one year, and modern teams shuttle pitchers between the majors and the minors constantly. Edwin Jackson holds the record for the most MLB teams played for, with 14.
| Player | Career | Teammates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rich Hill | 2005–2025 | 944 |
| 2 | Edwin Jackson | 2003–2019 | 871 |
| 3 | Jesse Chavez | 2008–2025 | 857 |
| 4 | Terry Mulholland | 1986–2006 | 791 |
| 5 | Craig Kimbrel | 2010–2026 | 785 |
| 6 | David Weathers | 1991–2009 | 762 |
| 7 | Tyler Clippard | 2007–2022 | 750 |
| 8 | Tommy Pham | 2014–2026 | 749 |
| 9 | Luis Garcia | 2013–2026 | 739 |
| 10 | David Robertson | 2008–2025 | 730 |
Basketball
Basketball rosters are small, about 15 players, so it takes a lot of moving to reach these totals. Everyone here played for many teams, often on short contracts late in their careers.
| Player | Career | Teammates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jeff Green | 2007–2025 | 302 |
| 2 | Trevor Ariza | 2004–2021 | 291 |
| 3 | Garrett Temple | 2009–2025 | 289 |
| 4 | Ish Smith | 2010–2022 | 277 |
| 5 | Vince Carter | 1998–2019 | 275 |
| 6 | JaVale McGee | 2008–2023 | 271 |
| 7 | D.J. Augustin | 2008–2021 | 270 |
| 8 | Anthony Tolliver | 2008–2020 | 268 |
| 9 | DeAndre Jordan | 2008–2025 | 264 |
| 10 | Rajon Rondo | 2006–2021 | 259 |
Football
Football's numbers dwarf the others because its rosters are enormous: 53 players, plus everyone who passes through during a season. Backup quarterbacks and kickers lead the way. They last a long time, and teams are always looking for one.
| Player | Career | Teammates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Josh Johnson | 2008–2026 | 1,393 |
| 2 | Calais Campbell | 2008–2026 | 1,088 |
| 3 | Tyrod Taylor | 2011–2026 | 1,055 |
| 4 | Matt Prater | 2007–2025 | 1,050 |
| 5 | Josh McCown | 2002–2020 | 1,005 |
| 6 | Nick Folk | 2007–2026 | 994 |
| 7 | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 2005–2021 | 991 |
| 8 | Case Keenum | 2013–2026 | 987 |
| 9 | John Jenkins | 2013–2026 | 985 |
| 10 | Marcedes Lewis | 2006–2025 | 982 |
Hockey
Mike Sillinger shares the NHL record for most teams played for, with 12. The rest of the list is a mix of long careers like Jaromír Jágr's and well-traveled defensemen.
| Player | Career | Teammates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Sillinger | 1990–2008 | 599 |
| 2 | Mathieu Schneider | 1987–2009 | 557 |
| 3 | Jaromir Jagr | 1990–2017 | 553 |
| 4 | Mark Recchi | 1988–2010 | 540 |
| 5 | Michel Petit | 1982–1997 | 513 |
| 6 | Luke Schenn | 2008–2026 | 503 |
| 7 | Matt Cullen | 1997–2018 | 495 |
| 8 | Derick Brassard | 2007–2022 | 493 |
| 9 | Marc Bergevin | 1984–2003 | 490 |
| 10 | Grant Ledyard | 1984–2001 | 487 |
Soccer
The top of the soccer list is almost all Serie A. Italian clubs have a long habit of loans and co-ownership deals, so a well-traveled striker could play for half the league over a career.
| Player | Career | Teammates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marco Borriello | 2002–2017 | 647 |
| 2 | Nicola Amoruso | 1991–2009 | 637 |
| 3 | Dario Dainelli | 1997–2017 | 511 |
| 4 | Cesare Bovo | 2000–2016 | 510 |
| 5 | Matteo Brighi | 2000–2018 | 509 |
| 6 | Alberto Gilardino | 1998–2016 | 508 |
| 7 | Kevin-Prince Boateng | 2005–2022 | 508 |
| 8 | Amauri | 2000–2015 | 505 |
| 9 | Pepe Reina | 1998–2024 | 492 |
| 10 | Fabio Quagliarella | 1999–2022 | 490 |
Why they’re all recent
Look at the career years: almost every name is from the last 40 years. Teams use more players per season than they used to. Injured lists are longer, call-ups are more frequent, and roster rules make it easy to swap players in and out. A modern journeyman can play with more people in one season than a 1950s player did in three.
Why this matters in Teammate Chain
These players are the best links in the game. If you need to connect two players and one of the names above played for both of their teams, you’re done. Even when they didn’t, a journeyman is usually just one more link from wherever you need to go.
Long careers in the middle of a sport’s history matter too. For more on that, see the center of every sport and the Teammate Chain strategy guide.
How we counted
A teammate is anyone who appeared for the same club in the same regular season. Each person counts once, no matter how many seasons they played together. The data covers every MLB and major-league season since 1871; every NBA season since 1946-47 (BAA included); every NFL season since the 1970 merger; every NHL season since the 1967 expansion; Europe's top five leagues since 1963-64, so players from before those dates, or from leagues outside them, aren’t counted.
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