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The revolving door
A baseball team used 37 players a season in 1951 and uses 56 now; the 2026 Giants used 71. The most and fewest players a team has used in one season in baseball, basketball and hockey, and how the typical roster has grown.
By Austin · October 17, 2026
A team’s roster is a list of names on opening day. By the end of the season it’s much longer. We counted every player who appeared for every team in every season, to find the busiest revolving doors in history and how the typical number has changed. In baseball it has gone from 37 players a team in 1951 to 56 today.
| Sport | Typical team, then | Typical team, now | The most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | 12 (1871) | 56 (2026) | 71, San Francisco Giants (2026) |
| Basketball | 16.5 (1946-47) | 18 (2025-26) | 30, Houston Rockets (2020-21) |
| Hockey | 28 (1967-68) | 36.5 (2025-26) | 55, Boston Bruins (1991-92) |
Baseball
A baseball team in 1871 needed about a dozen players for a whole season. By 1901 it was 25, and for most of the 20th century the typical team used 35 to 40. Then the number took off. Relievers now go back and forth to the minor leagues every few days, starters throw fewer innings, and the injured list is shorter, so today's typical team uses well over 50 players a season and the busiest 70 or more. The oddest year is still 1884, when the Union Association, a rival major league that lasted one season, had teams folding and replacing each other in midseason.
The most players in a season
| Team | Season | Players | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco GiantsLuis Arraez, Rafael Devers, Logan Webb | 2026 | 71 | 56 |
| Atlanta BravesCraig Kimbrel, Chris Sale, Matt Olson | 2025 | 70 | 56 |
| Baltimore OriolesAdley Rutschman, Gary Sanchez, Charlie Morton | 2025 | 70 | 56 |
| Miami MarlinsLuis Arraez, Josh Bell, Tim Anderson | 2024 | 70 | 55 |
| Chicago CubsCraig Kimbrel, Willson Contreras, Kris Bryant | 2021 | 69 | 56.5 |
| Seattle MarinersIchiro Suzuki, Edwin Encarnacion, Jay Bruce | 2019 | 67 | 51.5 |
| Pittsburgh PiratesBryan Reynolds, David Bednar, Jose Quintana | 2022 | 67 | 55 |
| Los Angeles AngelsMike Trout, Shohei Ohtani, Kurt Suzuki | 2022 | 66 | 55 |
The most for their time
Against the typical team that season, these used the most: Washington Nationals (1884), 51 against a typical 21; Kansas City Cowboys (1884), 51 against a typical 21; Brooklyn Atlantics (1875), 35 against a typical 15; Pittsburg Alleghenys (1890), 46 against a typical 20; Philadelphia Athletics (1890), 44 against a typical 20.
The fewest for their time
| Team | Season | Players | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul White CapsCharlie Ganzel, Joe Werrick, Billy O'Brien | 1884 | 11 | 21 |
| Milwaukee BrewersAl Myers, Henry Porter, Ed Cushman | 1884 | 12 | 21 |
| New York GiantsJim O'Rourke, Roger Connor, John Ward | 1885 | 13 | 21 |
| Chicago White StockingsCap Anson, King Kelly, George Gore | 1882 | 12 | 19 |
| Buffalo BisonsJim O'Rourke, Dan Brouthers, Deacon White | 1882 | 12 | 19 |
| Boston Red CapsEzra Sutton, Jack Burdock, John Morrill | 1882 | 12 | 19 |
Basketball
A basketball roster is small, and for its first few decades the typical team got through a season with 12 or 13 players. The number has crept up since, with two-way contracts and the G League making it easy to call players up. The busiest seasons ever were 2020-21 and 2021-22, when COVID-19 kept players out and the league let teams sign replacements; in December 2021 the Omicron wave hit almost every team at once.
The most players in a season
| Team | Season | Players | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston RocketsJames Harden, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins | 2020-21 | 30 | 21 |
| Milwaukee BucksGiannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton | 2021-22 | 29 | 23.5 |
| Washington WizardsBradley Beal, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Deni Avdija | 2021-22 | 29 | 23.5 |
| Memphis GrizzliesVince Carter, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph | 2015-16 | 28 | 17 |
| Boston CelticsAl Horford, Jayson Tatum, Joe Johnson | 2021-22 | 28 | 23.5 |
| Memphis GrizzliesMarc Gasol, Mike Conley, Joakim Noah | 2018-19 | 28 | 20.5 |
| Orlando MagicNikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Terrence Ross | 2020-21 | 28 | 21 |
| Indiana PacersDomantas Sabonis, Tyrese Haliburton, Tristan Thompson | 2021-22 | 28 | 23.5 |
The most for their time
Against the typical team that season, these used the most: Memphis Grizzlies (2015-16), 28 against a typical 17; Cleveland Cavaliers (1981-82), 23 against a typical 14; Milwaukee Hawks (1951-52), 18 against a typical 11; Dallas Mavericks (1996-97), 27 against a typical 17; Baltimore Bullets (1949-50), 23 against a typical 14.5.
The fewest for their time
| Team | Season | Players | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington CapitolsFreddie Scolari, John Mahnken, Horace McKinney | 1947-48 | 8 | 14 |
| Washington CapitolsFreddie Scolari, Jack Nichols, Horace McKinney | 1948-49 | 11 | 16 |
| Washington CapitolsFreddie Scolari, Chuck Halbert, Horace McKinney | 1949-50 | 10 | 14.5 |
| Orlando MagicDwight Howard, Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis | 2009-10 | 12 | 17 |
| Chicago BullsJimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol | 2014-15 | 14 | 19.5 |
| Detroit PistonsBen Wallace, Tracy McGrady, Richard Hamilton | 2010-11 | 13 | 18 |
Hockey
Hockey teams used about 28 players a season in 1967-68 and have used between about 33 and 40 in most seasons since, with call-ups from the minor leagues covering every injury. The champions tend to be at the other end: the 1981-82 Islanders, in the middle of four straight Stanley Cups, used just 25.
The most players in a season
| Team | Season | Players | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston BruinsRay Bourque, Glen Wesley, Adam Oates | 1991-92 | 55 | 40.5 |
| Tampa Bay LightningVincent Lecavalier, Mike Sillinger, Stephane Richer | 1999-00 | 53 | 36 |
| Washington CapitalsJaromir Jagr, Sergei Gonchar, Dainius Zubrus | 2003-04 | 51 | 37 |
| Minnesota North StarsDino Ciccarelli, Don Beaupre, Brian Bellows | 1987-88 | 50 | 38 |
| Minnesota North StarsMike Modano, Larry Murphy, Dino Ciccarelli | 1988-89 | 50 | 37 |
| New York RangersMark Messier, Jaromir Jagr, Alex Kovalev | 2003-04 | 50 | 37 |
| Tampa Bay LightningMark Recchi, Gary Roberts, Vincent Lecavalier | 2008-09 | 50 | 34 |
| Colorado AvalancheMikko Rantanen, Erik Johnson, Gabriel Landeskog | 2024-25 | 50 | 37 |
The most for their time
Against the typical team that season, these used the most: Detroit Red Wings (1973-74), 43 against a typical 29; Tampa Bay Lightning (1999-00), 53 against a typical 36; Tampa Bay Lightning (2008-09), 50 against a typical 34; Philadelphia Flyers (2006-07), 49 against a typical 33.5; Anaheim Ducks (2018-19), 49 against a typical 35.
The fewest for their time
| Team | Season | Players | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York IslandersBilly Smith, Bryan Trottier, Brent Sutter | 1981-82 | 25 | 36 |
| Los Angeles KingsButch Goring, Rogie Vachon, Terry Harper | 1974-75 | 22 | 30.5 |
| Buffalo SabresMike Ramsey, Gilbert Perreault, Jerry Korab | 1979-80 | 24 | 33 |
| Tampa Bay LightningDave Andreychuk, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis | 2003-04 | 27 | 37 |
| New York IslandersBilly Smith, Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin | 1975-76 | 22 | 30 |
| Anaheim DucksTeemu Selanne, Matt Cullen, Paul Kariya | 1998-99 | 28 | 38 |
Why it matters in Teammate Chain
Every extra player on a roster is another teammate for everyone else on it. A team that used 70 players in a season links far more careers than one that used 35, which is part of why the shortest chains between two modern players are so short. In Teammate Chain, a recent team-season is a big hub. See the players with the most teammates for who benefits most.
How we counted
A player counts for a team if he appeared in at least one regular-season game for it that season, so a player traded midseason counts for both teams. The typical team is the median for that season. The fewest are measured against the season’s typical team, leaving out clubs that used fewer than half the typical number: those are teams that folded or joined partway through a season, not teams that stayed healthy.
About the data
Rosters come from the data behind Teammate Chain: every major-league baseball season since 1871, the NBA since 1946-47 and the NHL since 1967-68. Football and soccer aren’t here: our football rosters list everyone a team had under contract, not just the players who got into games, and a soccer squad list can name players who never played. Spot a mistake? Let us know.