MLB

Top 40 Hitters In MLB History

Joe Burgett - June 26, 2019

MLB

Top 40 Hitters In MLB History

Joe Burgett - June 26, 2019

To be known as one of the greatest hitters in baseball, you have to be capable of delivering night in and night out in Major League Baseball. The competition in MLB is the best in the world. If you can deliver for a decade or more, you’ll become a Hall of Famer. While some believe that being a home run hitter puts you on the greatest hitter list automatically, it doesn’t.

If a home run hitter can also drive in a high number of RBIs and singles, doubles, and triples too, they will belong on this list. However, just because a player can get 40 HRs a year does not excuse a subpar batting average. This is a problem for some of the best HR hitters in history. This list takes doping scandals into account as well. While some men have been believed to have or did use things like steroids and/or HGH, remember that this does not help them hit the ball. It merely helps them hit it harder and likely further. What we’re saying is, we should not dismiss hitters if they randomly have a connection to this.

Our criteria for the players was that all had to have some form of batting title, led a team to a championship, have a great career batting average, and/or had amazing numbers to match their time played. Let’s get started.

40. Ichiro Suzuki

Baseball has become quite huge in Japan, and it can easily be claimed that Ichiro Suzuki helped to grow it to the popularity it is now. Suzuki played in Japan for years but ended up playing at a high level with MLB for about 17 years. In that time, he was able to get 1,278 hits, 118 HRs, and 529 RBIs. He also has a career batting average of 0.353.

Suzuki is a 10-time All-Star, 3-time Silver Slugger Award winner, 2-time AL Batting Champion, and he was the 2001 AL MVP. Yet he was considered to be among the greatest lead-off hitters ever due to seemingly always getting on base. It helps that he was insanely fast.

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39. Rod Carew

Rod Carew was beloved in the majors for years and throughout his time there, he was noted as one of the greatest hitters of his era. In total, Rod has 3,053 hits, 92 HRs, and 1,015 RBIs. He was also able to put up a career batting average of 0.328. Rod also became an 18-time All-Star during his playing career, among the best.

He is a 7-time AL Batting Champion, known for completely dominating in this category during the 1970s. To top it off, he was also the 1977 AL MVP. Truly, Rod is one of the best who ever played the game!

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38. Joey Votto

Votto is one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball today. His on-base percentage is at a high level. In just 2018, he had a 0.427 OBS & even a 0.957 OPS. While he does not have as many hits as many of these players, he has only been in the majors since 2007. In that time, he has managed to get 1,796 hits, 276 HRs, and 916 RBIs.

In total, he’s a 6-time All-Star and managed to win the 2010 NL Hank Aaron Award. This award is given out annually to the best hitter in each league. Votto was also the 2010 NL MVP. He’s still playing at a high level so his numbers will continue to rise.

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37. Chipper Jones

Jones will forever be known by fans for his impact on the field. Yet pitchers will remember him as a nightmare to play against. Jones was a switch-hitter, so that meant no team could get an advantage on him by putting in a lefty or righty. He is the only switch player in history to record a 0.300 batting average, a 0.400 on-base percentage, and a 0.500 slugging percentage.

In total, he has 2,762 hits, 468 HRs, and 1,623 RBIs on a career 0.303 batting average. Jones is an 8-time All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 2008 MLB Batting Champion. He also won the NL MVP in 1999 and was a huge reason for the Atlanta Braves winning the 1995 World Series.

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36. Mike Trout

Mike Trout is another still active player who has been dominate as a hitter since his arrival to the majors in 2011. He currently has 1,259 hits, 262 HRs, and 704 RBIs. This is not including the stolen bases he’s managed. He was the 2014 AL RBI Leader & won the 2014 Hank Aaron Award.

Of course, Trout is a 7-time All-Star and a 6-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He’s also been named the AL MVP twice thus far into his career. Trout has a very long way to go before retirement and he is on pace to destroy every record in front of him at this pace.

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35. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson

It is sad to say that “Shoeless” Joe Jackson is connected to one of the biggest sports scandals in history, the 1919 Black Sox. This was a time in which the White Sox were said to be “in” on fixing the 1919 World Series for them to win. Jackson was thought to have been associated with the situation. This resulted in MLB’s First Commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, to ban him after 1920.

This cut his career short, in its prime. Though he has one World Series ring from 1917, he led the league in nearly every category a batter could lead them in. In total, he has 1,772 hits, 54 HRs, and 785 RBIs. Jackson also still has one of the greatest career batting averages ever. His 0.356 career average is currently third-best all-time! These numbers are massive for as short a time he played.

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34. Frank Thomas

Frank Thomas was a deadly hitter who was nearly unstoppable at the plate. Despite being a star and home run hitter during the 1990s, Thomas was never suspected for using performance-enhancing drugs during his time. He was even an advocate for testing. It is hard to believe he didn’t use, despite the fact that he didn’t. His numbers were amazing.

Thomas has 2,468 career hits, 521 HRs, and 1,704 RBIs on a 0.301 career batting average. During his career, Frank became a 5-time All-Star, 4-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 1997 AL Batting Champion. Frank even won the AL MVP twice (1993, 1994). It is quite clear that Thomas is one of the greatest hitters in history.

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33. Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez has always been one of the best hitters in the modern baseball world. He was a key cog in the Cleveland Indians machine before going to the Boston Red Sox & LA Dodgers where he is most known. Manny was able to get 2,574 career hits, 555 HRs, and 1,831 RBIs. In total, Manny was a 12-time All-Star during his career and even a 2-time World Series winner.

Manny has 9 Silver Slugger Awards and 2 AL Hank Aaron Awards. Not to mention, he was the AL Batting Champion in 2002, led the AL in home runs in 2004, and led the AL in RBIs in 1999. He was able to do all of this on an impressive 0.312 career batting average. It’s pretty clear he is one of the greatest hitters in history!

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32. Mel Ott

Mel Ott belongs to the old school world of baseball as played from 1926 to 1947. During his career, he managed to get an impressive 2,876 hits, 511 HRs, and 1,860 RBIs. He was a huge reason the New York Giants were able to win the 1933 World Series, as he put up some major numbers.

In total, Ott is a 12-time All-Star who led the National League in RBIs in 1934. He is also a 6-time NL Home Run Leader, making him one of the deadliest at the plate during his era. Despite playing around 20 years, Ott has an impressive 0.304 career batting average. These numbers should solidify him as one of the greatest hitters ever, for sure.

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31. Joe DiMaggio

Joe DiMaggio is one of the most popular players in history. This is likely due to being a star player for the New York Yankees and his relationship with Marilyn Monroe. Yet as a player, he was spectacular. He played for the Yankees from 1936 to 1951, putting up an impressive 2,214 hits, 361 HRs, and 1,537 RBIs. DiMaggio even had an impressive career batting average of 0.325!

DiMaggio is most known for his MLB record 56-game hitting streak. Several have gotten close but none have matched or beaten it. During his time, Joe was a 2-time AL RBI leader, 2-time AL Home Run leader, 2-time AL Batting Champion, 3-time AL MVP, and a 13-time All-Star. Most memorably, DiMaggio became a 9-time World Series Champion. It’s hard to find many with a better career.

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30. Hank Greenberg

Hank Greenberg spent a total of 12 years in the majors, but he actually took a break from baseball to serve with the United States Armed Forces during World War II. Known as “The Hebrew Hammer,” Hank was Jewish and thus the war meant a lot to him for obvious reasons. He likely would have had a much bigger list of stats if he did not give up prime years of his career to serve.

In 8 years of total playing time, Hank was able to get 1,628 career hits as well as 331 Home Runs. If that wasn’t enough, Hank also managed to get 1,274 RBIs and had a batting average of 0.313. Despite taking time away, he was a 4-time AL RBI leader, 4-time AL Home Run leader, 2-time AL MVP, and 5-time All-Star. He even won the World Series twice.

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29. Roberto Clemente

Roberto Clemente was an impressive player. He was one of the first Latin American players to be a major success in the major league. He managed to get 240 HRs & 1,305 RBIs. On the last game he ever played, he was able to record his 3,000th hit. He was known for being heavily involved in charity work during the off-season, but this sadly cost him his life. During a routine delivery to aid Nicaragua after an Earthquake, the plane he was on sadly crashed. Roberto would pass at only 38 years of age.

During his career, he was a 4-time NL Batting Champion, the 1966 NL MVP, 2-time World Series Champion, World Series MVP, and a 15-time All-Star. In total, he had a career batting average of 0.317 as well. Clemente was able to accomplish all of this on only 13 years of play. Due to what he was able to do and all the people he helped, an award was named after him that is now given out annually to the player that shows the best sportsmanship and humanitarian side.

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28. Billy Hamilton

Billy Hamilton played in the early stages of baseball, back in the late 1800s. Officially, he played from 1988 to 1901 and was one of the biggest stars of this era. He was able to manage 2,154 hits during his career with 40 HRs and 742 RBIs. He also was one of the game’s first stolen base artists. Hamilton led the league for career stolen bases for years with over 900.

This resulted in him being a 5-time NL Stolen Base leader too. Due to his impressive hitting ability, he managed to become a 2-time NL Batting Champion too. While Hamilton was one of the greatest hitters of his time, he’s clearly one of the best in history too.

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27. Rogers Hornsby

Rogers Hornsby was one of baseball’s greatest players during the early 1900s. He played for more than two decades, starting in 1915 and ending his playing career in 1937. During that time, he managed to attain 2,930 hits, 301 HRs, and 1,584 RBIs. He also managed to end his career with a 0.358 batting average, among the best in history.

During his time, he was a 4-time NL RBI leader, 2-time NL Home Run leader, 7-time NL Batting Champion, 2-time Triple Crown winner, and 2-time NL MVP. He also helped lead his team to a World Series Championship in 1926. Those numbers prove that Hornsby is one of the greatest hitters in history.

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26. Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehrig had one heck of a career. He was considered the “Ironman” of baseball for years as he played 2,130 straight games, a record not broken for more than 50 years. He as was able to get 2,171 hits, 493 HRs, and 1,995 RBIs on a 0.340 career batting average. At one point, Gehrig had a hit streak that was record breaking but he’d take himself out of the lineup to keep it going, stunning fans and teammates.

This was due to a disease he had called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, an incurable neuromuscular illness. We better know it today as Lou Gehrig’s disease as a result. The disease forced him to retire at just 36, and he’d die from it 2 years later. Despite not playing as long as he likely could have, he was a 2-time AL MVP, 1934 AL Batting Champion, 3-time AL Home Run leader, 5-time AL RBI leader, and a 7-time All-Star. He also won 6 World Series Championships. Imagine what could have been!

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25. Babe Ruth

Funny enough, Babe Ruth began his career as a pitcher. He was even the 1916 AL ERA leader! His transition allowed him to be a batter more often, resulting in Ruth being one of the greatest hitters in history. During his time, Ruth had 2,873 total hits, 714 HRs, and 2,213 RBIs. All of this was done on a career 0.342 batting average.

Ruth was the 1923 AL MVP & 1924 Batting Champion. He is also a 6-time AL RBI leader and 12-time AL Home Run leader. His hitting became so impressive, he helped lead the Yankees to 7 World Series Championships.

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24. Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs was one of the best hitters of the 1980s and 90s. In total, he was able to get 3.010 hits, 118 HRs, and 1,014 RBIs on an impressive 0.328 batting average. To no one’s shock, Boggs was a popular player, ultimately allowing him to be a 12-time All-Star.

He is also an 8-time Silver Slugger Award winner & 5-time AL Batting Champion. He was also a key figure for the New York Yankees during their World Series Championship run in 1996. With accomplishments like these, it makes complete sense to say Wade Boggs is one of the greatest hitters to ever live.

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23. Mickey Mantle

Mickey Mantle is one of the most legendary players in baseball history and one of its greatest hitters. He’d manage to earn 2,415 career hits, 536 HRs, and 1,509 RBIs. He was the 1956 AL RBI leader, 1956 AL Batting Champion, and a 1956 Triple Crown winner. He’s also a 4-time AL Home Run leader and 3-time AL MVP. Mickey is also a 16-time All-Star.

During his career, Mantle played in 12 World Series. Due to his multiple appearances, he ended up with multiple World Series records. Those include the most home runs (18), RBIs (40), extra-base hits (26), runs (42), walks (43), and total bases (123). To top it off, out of the 12 he played in with the Yankees, Mantle helped them win 7 World Series Championships.

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22. Cal Ripken, Jr.

Today, we know Cal Ripken, Jr. best as the man who played 2,632 consecutive games, an MLB record. However, throughout his 20-year career, he did not just play in games, he was a major player for his squad. Playing with Baltimore Orioles his entire career, Ripken managed to get 3,184 hits, 431 HRs, and 1,695 RBIs. He also became a 19-time All-Star, among the most ever.

He is an 8-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Roberto Clemente Award winner, and 2-time AL MVP. Cal also helped lead the Orioles to win the 1983 World Series Championship. Though some hitters fall off the longer they play, Ripken, Jr. remained one of the greatest hitters of his time.

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21. Miguel Cabrera

While he is still playing today, Miguel Cabrera has already done enough to be known as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history. He has earned 2,749 total hits, 469 HRs, and 1,665 RBIs. He also has a tremendous 0.394 on-base percentage. Cabrera also has a 0.316 batting average.

During his career, he has been an 11-time All-Star and even assisted the Florida Marlins in helping them win the 2003 World Series Championship. For his career, he has been a 2-time AL RBI leader, 2-time AL Home Run leader, 2-time AL Hank Aaron Award winner, 4-time AL Batting Champion, and 7-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He has even won 2 AL MVP awards and even became a Triple Crown winner in 2012.

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20. Alex Rodriguez

Rodriguez played for over 20 years and was known as one of the greatest hitters in modern-day baseball. During his career, he racked up 3,115 total career hits, 696 HRs, and 2,086 RBIs. Due to his home run hitting ability, A-Rod was incredibly popular, which is likely how he became a 14-time All-Star.

He also assisted the New York Yankees in winning the 2009 World Series Championship. Overall, Rodriguez is a 2-time MLB RBI leader, 4-time AL Hank Aaron Award winner, 5-time AL Home Run leader, and a 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner. A-Rod was also the 1996 MLB Batting Champion and even won the AL MVP award 3 times.

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19. Ken Griffey, Jr.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is one of the most popular players in history. During an era where steroids and HGH was a huge part of baseball, Griffey never once had a connection to them. Despite this and some injury issues, he was able to have an impressive 21-year career. In that time, he was able to earn 2,781 total hits, 630 HRs, and 1,836 RBIs. Due to his popularity, he was a 13-time All-Star. While Griffey is known as an impressive fielder, he was likely a better batter.

This allowed him to become the 1997 AL RBI leader, a 4-time AL Home Run leader, 7-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 1997 AL MVP. He even managed to win the 2005 NL Comeback Player of the Year, after returning to play at a high level. It is quite clear that the now Hall of Famer, Ken Griffey, Jr. is one of the greatest hitters of all time. Griffey also went into the Baseball Hall of Fame on a first ballot with the second highest acceptance score ever, 99.3%.

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18. Paul Waner

The great Paul Waner was one of the greatest hitters in the early 1900s. He played in the majors from 1926 to 1945, an impressive near 20-year career. During this time, he was able to get 3,152 total hits, 113 HRs, and 1,309 RBIs. He’d do it all on a career 0.333 batting average.

During his playing career, he managed to become a 4-time All-Star and 3-time NL Batting Champion. Waner’s best year was 1927 when he was the NL RBI leader as well as the NL MVP. Though he did not win a World Series Title, he’d hold several Pittsburgh Pirates records for years and even make it into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952.

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17. Tony Gwynn

Tony Gwynn is a legend for the San Diego Padres, where he played his entire near 20-year career. During his playing career, Gwynn had 3,141 hits, 135 HRs, and 1,138 RBIs. He did all of this on an impressive batting average of 0.338. Immensely popular in his time, Gwynn became a 15-time All-Star.

Tony also became a 7-time Silver Slugger Award winner and 8-time NL Batting Champion. Gwynn would even win the 1999 Roberto Clemente Award. Gwynn is also a first-ballot Baseball Hall of Famer, getting 97.6% yes votes.

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16. Mike Schmidt

Mike Schmidt was one of the best players during his era. He played from 1972 to 1989, somewhat modest compared to the 20-year career men on this list. However, Mike did not need much more time to prove himself. He was able to earn 2,234 total hits, 548 HRs, and 1,595 RBIs. One of the most popular players of his time, Schmidt would become a 12-time All-Star.

He was also a 4-time NL RBI leader, 6-time Silver Slugger Award winner, 8-time NL Home Run leader, and a 3-time NL MVP. He was also a key player for the Philadelphia Phillies during 1980, as he assisted them in winning the World Series Championship that year. Mike would go on to become the World Series MVP due to his impressive play.

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15. Tris Speaker

Tris Speaker is known as the “King of Doubles” by most. This is due to Tris putting up 792 doubles hits in his career, an MLB record even today. In total, he has 3,514 hits, 117 HRs, and 1,529 RBIs. These numbers all came on a career batting average of 0.345, among the best in history. This alone makes him one of the greatest hitters in history, yet his accomplishments are numerous.

While Tris is one of the greatest fielders ever, still holding records in assists & double plays, his hitting helped him become a notable figure. He was the 1912 AL Home Run leader, 1916 AL Batting Champion, and 1923 AL RBI leader. He even won the 1912 AL MVP. On top of all of this, Speaker managed to win 3 World Series Championships.

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14. Albert Pujols

Technically, Albert Pujols is still an active player in the majors. However, whether he retires or not, he is a certain Baseball Hall of Famer and will always be known as one of the greatest hitters of all time. He has managed to get 3,135 hits, 646 HRs, and 2,023 RBIs during his career. Due to his massive popularity, Pujols has become a 1o-time All-Star.

He is a 2-time NL Home Run leader, 2-time Hank Aaron Award winner, 6-time Silver Slugger Award winner, the 2010 NL RBI leader, and the 2003 NL Batting Champion. Albert also won 3 NL MVPs and 2 World Series Championships. All in all, Pujols is one of the greatest players to ever live.

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13. Frank Robinson

Frank Robinson played for several teams in his Major League career. However, the results were always the same. Robinson could be relied upon to deliver at the plate. During his career, he earned 2.943 total hits, 586 HRs, and 1,812 RBIs. During his 20-year playing career, he was able to become a 14-time All-Star.

He won the NL MVP in 1961 then the AL MVP & the Triple Crown in 1966. Frank would also become a 3-time World Series Champion during his playing career, becoming the World Series MVP in the 1966 series. Robinson went on to become a Manager & Coach in the Majors. That resulted in a Manager of the Year Award in 1989, but nothing more.

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12. Eddie Collins

Eddie Collins had a tremendous career in the early years of baseball. He played from 1906 to 1930 and became one of the greatest hitters of his time. Collins was able to earn 3,315 total hits, 47 HRs, and 1,300 RBIs. He was also a gifted base stealer. This allowed him to earn a career mark of 745 stolen bases. Collins also managed to lead the AL 4 times in stolen bases during his time.

While Collins would go on to become the 1914 AL MVP, his personal accomplishments were not just useful in earning praise just for himself. He played for both the Chicago White Sox & the Philadelphia Athletics and helped them both win titles. In total, Collins was able to win 6 World Series Championships. 5 were with Philly while 1 was earned with Chicago.

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11. Nap Lajoie

Nap Lajoie was known as “The Frenchman” during his play, mostly due to his first name being Napolean and his last name being of French origin. Despite his love of crepes over pancakes, Lajoie managed to get 3,243 total hits, 82 HRs, and 1,599 RBIs during his 20-year playing career.

Nap played from 1896 to 1916, during which he was able to win several awards for his play on the field. Lajoie is a 3-time RBI leader and 5-time AL Batting Champion. He’d go on to be the AL Home Run leader in 1901, the same year he’d also accomplish the Triple Crown.

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10. Paul Molitor

Another 20-year player, Paul Molitor was one of the greatest hitters of his time. He’d earn 3,319 hits, 234 HRs, and 1,307 RBIs. Of course, Paul was also a gifted base stealer. He has a total of 504 stolen bases in his career as a result. Paul managed to have a pretty impressive 0.306 career batting average. This is pretty impressive for 20 years of play.

Throughout his career, he was a 4-time Silver Slugger Award winner & 7-time All-Star. He’d even win a World Series Championship in 1993 with the Toronto Blue Jays where he’d also be the World Series MVP. After his retirement, Molitor went into coaching/managing. Thus far, he has managed the Minnesota Twins and earned the 2017 Manager of the Year Award with them.

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9. Barry Bonds

Bonds is considered by many to be the single greatest home run hitter of all time. This is due to Bonds having the career Home Run record of 762 homers. He also has the most home runs in a single season with 73. Overall, he has 2,935 career hits and 1,996 RBIs. Due to being so good as a hitter, he was walked a lot. In fact, Bonds has 2,558 career bases on balls and even has one season where he had 232 bases on balls, both are the most all-time in their category.

Bonds won numerous awards during his career. He was the 1993 NL RBI leader, a 2-time NL Home Run leader, 2-time NL Batting Champion, 3-time NL Hank Aaron Award winner, and 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Bonds has been an All-Star 14 times and he became a 7-time NL MVP. This is the most all-time for any player. It’s not a shock that pitchers didn’t like throwing to him.

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8. Stan Musial

Stan Musial was one heck of a player and a man who truly loved the game of baseball. He played from 1941 to 1963. During that time, he was able to get 3,630 total hits, 475 HRs, and 1,951 RBIs. This would all be done on a 0.331 batting average, among the best ever.

At the time of his retirement, Musial held or shared around 17 Major League records, 29 National League records, and 9 All-Star Game records. Stan is a 2-time NL RBI leader & 7-time NL Batting Champion. He even became the NL MVP 3 times and played in 20 All-Star games, tied for second all-time! On top of this, Stan helped the St. Louis Cardinals win 3 World Series Championships.

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7. Willie Mays

Incidentally, the man Stan is tied with for the most All-Star appearances with is Willie Mays, both with 20. During his career, Mays had 3,283 career hits, 660 HRs, and 1,903 RBIs. He even managed to earn 338 career stolen bases to just add to his impressive legacy. He was also able to do all of this on an impressive 0.302 career batting average.

Mays is a 4-time NL Stolen Base leader & 4-time NL Home Run leader. He won the Roberto Clemente Award in 1971 and the NL Batting Championship in 1954. Mays also won 2 NL MVPs and was a key asset to helping the New York/San Fransico Giants win the 1954 World Series Championship. This does not even mention his impressive Negro League career. It’s clear that Willie Mays is one of the greatest hitters that ever lived.

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6. Honus Wagner

Honus Wagner was one of the most successful players in the early world of baseball. He played from 1897 to 1916, during which time he racked up 3,430 career hits, 101 HRs, and 1,732 RBIs. Honus would finish his career with a 0.329 career batting average as well.

Wagner also retired with around the most stolen bases in history with 722. This number has been beaten since, but he still ranks 10th all-time in the category. Wagner is a 5-time NL Stolen Base leader, 5-time NL RBI leader, and 8-time NL Batting Champion. To top it off, Wagner was a big reason why the Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1909 World Series Championship too.

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5. Ted Williams

The career of Ted Williams is absolutely amazing. While he was one of the greatest hitters in the game, he was required to serve for the United States Navy during the Korean War. He had to do this for 3 years right in the middle of his Major League career, thus meaning his amazing numbers could be much higher. In total, he has 2,654 career hits, 521 HRs, and 1,839 RBIs. Williams also did this with a batting average of 0.344, one of the best ever.

Williams also ended his career with the best on-base percentage in the live-ball era at 0.482, which is still an MLB record to this very day. Williams is a 4-time AL RBI leader, 4-time AL Home Run leader, and 6-time AL Batting Champion. He won the AL MVP twice and managed the Triple Crown twice. On top of all of this, he is a 19-time All-Star.

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4. Derek Jeter

“The Captain” Derek Jeter is one of the greatest players in history. He’d play with the New York Yankees his entire career (1995-2014). He’d earn “Captain” status in 2003 and remain in that role until his retirement. During his career, Jeter was able to rack up 3,465 career hits, 260 HRs, and 1,311 RBIs. Derek would do all of this and do so on a 0.310 career batting average.

Jeter was on the receiving end of several awards throughout his career. He’d become a 2-time Hank Aaron Award winner, 5-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and he’d win the 2009 Roberto Clemente Award. On top of this, he’d become a 14-time All-Star and win 5 World Series Championships with the Yankees, one of which he’d become the World Series MVP of (2000).

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3. Pete Rose

Pete Rose is one of the greatest hitters in history but also one of the best overall players ever. During his career, he managed to get 160 Home Runs and 1,314 RBIs. Of course, Rose is most famous for having the MLB career hits record with 4,256 total hits. Yet he also has other MLB records like hitting 3,215 singles, the most in history. He also has the most career at-bats with 14,053 and the most career plate appearances with 15,890.

Oh yeah, and he has played in more games than anyone, 3,562 to be exact. Rose is a 3-time NL Batting Champion & 17-time All-Star. To top it off, he won the 1973 NL MVP, the 1976 Roger Clemente Award, and the Silver Slugger Award in 1981. He is also a 3-time World Series Champion and was even the 1975 World Series MVP.

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2. Ty Cobb

Ty Cobb is known as one of the greatest hitters in history, playing in the early days of the sport of baseball. His career began in 1905 and ended in 1928. In that time, he was able to get 4,191 hits, 117 HRs, and 1,938 RBIs. For years, Cobb was known as the greatest base stealer in history. He did end his career with 892 stolen bases, which was not beaten until later. Cobb is still 4th all-time in stolen bases.

Cobb is even a 6-time AL Stolen Base leader, 4-time AL RBI leader, and 12-time AL Batting Champion. He was able to earn the Triple Crown in 1909 too. On top of this, he won the AL MVP in 1911. Oh yeah, and Cobb has the greatest career batting average in history, 0.367. Cobb was known as the greatest sure thing at the plate to ever exist.

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1. Hank Aaron

Hank Aaron is considered to be the greatest home run hitter of all time, as he never needed steroids to hit 755 homers during his career. Aaron is still second all-time in Home Runs. Aaron played from 1954 to 1976 and was one of the few men that could be considered a can’t miss star. During his career, he was able to get 3,771 career hits and 2,297 RBIs (an MLB record).

Despite playing for over 20 years, he actually has a career batting average of an impressive 0.305. Hank also played in more All-Star Games than anyone, 21. He’s a 2-time NL Batting Champion, 4-time NL Home Run leader, 4-time-NL RBI leader, and he was the 1957 NL MVP. The same year he won the MVP, he also helped the Milwaukee Braves win the World Series Championship. Other records he holds are the 6,856 total bases and 1,477 career extra-base hits.

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Top 40 Hitters In MLB History

Top 40 Hitters In MLB History

40. Ichiro Suzuki

39. Rod Carew

38. Joey Votto

37. Chipper Jones

36. Mike Trout

35. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson

34. Frank Thomas

33. Manny Ramirez

32. Mel Ott

31. Joe DiMaggio

30. Hank Greenberg

29. Roberto Clemente

28. Billy Hamilton

27. Rogers Hornsby

26. Lou Gehrig

25. Babe Ruth

24. Wade Boggs

23. Mickey Mantle

22. Cal Ripken, Jr.

21. Miguel Cabrera

20. Alex Rodriguez

19. Ken Griffey, Jr.

18. Paul Waner

17. Tony Gwynn

16. Mike Schmidt

15. Tris Speaker

14. Albert Pujols

13. Frank Robinson

12. Eddie Collins

11. Nap Lajoie

10. Paul Molitor

9. Barry Bonds

8. Stan Musial

7. Willie Mays

6. Honus Wagner

5. Ted Williams

4. Derek Jeter

3. Pete Rose

2. Ty Cobb

1. Hank Aaron

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