How Many MLB Players Have 3,000 Hits?

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When baseball fans hear the term “3,000 hits”, they immediately think of a Hall of Famer, like Rogers Hornsby or Eddie Mathews, who both reached the elusive mark in their careers. However, many people are unaware that the MLB today is home to some players who have already reached this milestone, and there are several players, like the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols, who will likely reach the magic 3,000 total before 2013 is over.

You know the “3,000 Hit Club” is something special, but how many of you realize exactly how special? When the 3,000 hit club was first nominated in 1903, there were only 3 members. That number grew to 25 by 1922, then to 50 by 1937, but then the club began to shrink. There were only 25 player from 1935 until 1976, then 20 from 1977 to 1985, then just 6 from 1986 until 1999, and then 4 from 2000 until 2012. The last player to join the club was Boston Red Sox’s David Ortiz, who hit his 3,000th hit on September 9, 2012, and he did it with a home run off of the Seattle Mariners’ Felix Hernandez.

At the time of this article, there are 3,321 MLB players with at least 3,000 hits. That is astounding to think about with the opportunity for new players within the league since the start of the season. Billy Martin, the Giants first baseman from the 1930s, was the last MLB player to reach 3,000 hits. As impressive as it is, it is on the verge of being surpassed by the 2018 MLB season. (Check out our article on the history of 3,000 hit seasons to get a better understanding of the baseball phenomenon.)

The 3,000-hit club in Major League Baseball is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious in all of sports. Reaching 3,000 hits, which many consider to be even more remarkable than hitting 500 career home runs, is definitely no simple feat. Isn’t hitting 200 home runs in a single MLB season considered a fantastic year? To reach 3,000 hits, simple arithmetic tells us that someone would have to do it for 15 years in a row.

That’s a lot of great baseball, which is why all but one of the club’s eligible members have been elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with the exception of Rafael Palmeiro, who was apparently refused admission due to his steroid use. Alex Rodriguez will very certainly face a similar uphill fight. After being suspended from baseball in 1989, MLB’s all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, became ineligible.

There are 32 people in the 3,000 hits club right now. Rose, of course, is at the top of the list, while Roberto Clemente, who was sitting on 3,000 at the time of his sad death in a plane accident on New Year’s Eve in 1972, is at the bottom.

17 were right-handed, 13 were left-handed, and two were switch batters among the club’s 32 members. Ty Cobb has the best lifetime batting average (.366) in the club, while Cal Ripken Jr. has the worst (.276).

Cap Anson became the first player in MLB history to achieve 3,000 hits.

Cap Anson, who played 27 seasons of professional baseball from 1871 to 1897 and collected 3,435 hits, was the first member of the 3,000-hit club, but his exact hit total has been debated for decades.

The disagreement stems from Anson’s first five seasons in the National Association, which some do not regard to be a true “major league.” During those five seasons, he had 423 hits. If you subtract them, his total decreases to 3,012. There’s also the fact that walks were counted as hits during the 1887 season. When you include in the 60 walks he took that year, his total clearly increases.

But, because Anson’s profile on the National Baseball Hall of Fame website shows his hit total as 3,435, which includes the NA hits but excludes the 1887 walks, we’ll go with that figure. In 1894, his 19th season with the Chicago Cubs, then known as the Chicago Colts, he surpassed 3,000 hits.

The 3,000-hit club in MLB has 32 members.

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Craig Biggio celebrates after joining the MLB 3,000 hits club in June 2007 Craig Biggio becomes the third player in MLB history to reach 3,000 hits in June 2007 | Getty Images/Ronald Martinez

Here’s a look at every member of the 3,000-hit club in MLB.

  1. Pete Rose has 4,256 points.
  2. 4,189: Ty Cobb
  3. 3,771 votes for Hank Aaron
  4. Stan Musial has a total of 3,630 points.
  5. 3,514 Tris Speakers
  6. Derek Jeter has 3,465 hits in his career.
  7. Anson’s Cap: 3,435
  8. Wagner, Honus: 3,420
  9. Yastrzemski, Carl: 3,419
  10. 3,319 Paul Molitor
  11. Eddie Collins has a total of 3,315 points.
  12. Albert Pujols has 3,294 hits in his career.
  13. Willie Mays has 3,293 hits in his career.
  14. Eddie Murray has 3,255 points.
  15. 3,243 Nap Lajoie
  16. Cal Ripken Jr. has 3,184 hits.
  17. Adrian Beltre has a career batting average of 3,166.
  18. 3,154 George Brett
  19. Paul Waner has a total of 3,152 points.
  20. Robin Yount has a score of 3,142.
  21. Tony Gwynn has a total of 3,141 points.
  22. 3.115 Alex Rodriguez
  23. 3.110 Dave Winfield
  24. Suzuki, Ichiro: 3,089
  25. Craig Biggio has a total of 3,060 points.
  26. Rickey Henderson has a total of 3,055 points.
  27. Rod Carew has a total of 3,053 points.
  28. Lou Brock has a total of 3,023 points.
  29. Rafael Palmeiro has a total of 3,020 points.
  30. 3.010 Wade Boggs
  31. Al Kaline has a total of 3,007 followers on Twitter.
  32. 3,000 Roberto Clemente

The most recent addition to the team is Albert Pujols.

Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, who is now in his 21st MLB season, is the most recent addition to the club. The two-time World Series winner joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2012 after collecting 2,073 hits with the St. Louis Cardinals, he entered the 3,000-hit club on May 4, 2018, against the Seattle Mariners. Currently, Pujols plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Miguel Cabrera, who is fewer than 50 hits away from joining the club, will be the next to do so if he decides to play a 20th season.

Baseball Reference provided the statistics.

10 MLB Records That Will Never Be Broken (Related)

There are certainly some otherworldly baseball players out there—we can all name Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron and Ted Williams who have shattered baseball’s mark. But have you ever wondered how many players in the major leagues have more than 3,000 hits?. Read more about mlb players with 3,000 hits with one team and let us know what you think.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many MLB players have 500 home runs and 3000 hits?

There are 8 players who have 500 home runs and 3000 hits. They are Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa, Frank Robinson.

How many players have 3000 hits and 600 home runs?

There are currently no players with 3000 hits and 600 home runs.

How many MLB players have 2500 hits?

There are currently 5 players with 2500 hits in MLB history.

This article broadly covered the following related topics:

  • how many mlb players have 3000 hits and 600 home runs
  • how many mlb players have 3,000 hits and 500 home runs
  • how many mlb players have 4,000 hits
  • players close to 3,000 hits
  • 3,000 hit club baseball reference

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