Baseball players with 3000 hits include Miguel Cabrera, Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltre, Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and many others.
The exclusive 3,000-hit club consists of 33 remarkable batters in the MLB, with Pete Rose at the top of the chart with 4,256 hits, followed by Ty Cobb at 4,189 and Hank Aaron at 3,771.
Among them, 18 were right-handed batters, 13 were left-handed, and two could switch-hit. Remarkably, only two teams, the Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers, have had the privilege of having three players reach the monumental milestone while wearing their uniforms.
The most recent addition to the notable club is Miguel Cabrera, who attained his 3,000th hit on 23 April 2033, while playing for the Detroit Tigers. Cabrera currently stands as the lone active player with over 3,000 hits, solidifying his place among the game's all-time greats.
1. Miguel Cabrera - 2022
Miguel Cabrera joined the illustrious list of baseball players with 3000 hits and 500 home runs. Miguel is just the 7th player to achieve this feat.
The momentous occasion occurred in front of his home crowd at Comerica Park during the first inning of the match between the Detroit Tigers and the Colorado Rockies, where Cabrera delivered a groundball single to right field, maneuvering through the shift.
In joining the elite ranks of the 3000-hit club, Cabrera also became the seventh Latino player to achieve this distinguished milestone. This historic moment occurred one day after a rain delay caused the postponement of the series opener against the Rockies.
The crowd at Comerica Park erupted with enthusiasm, showering Cabrera with a thunderous ovation to celebrate his incredible accomplishment as the Tigers emerged victorious with a commanding 13-0 win over the Rockies.
2. Albert Pujols - 2018
Albert Pujols achieved his 3000th hit during the fifth inning of a game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners on May 4, 2018.
In a significant moment, Pujols collected this milestone with a broken-bat single. The Angels emerged victorious with a 5-0 win over the Mariners.
At the beginning of the 2018 season, Pujols, who was 38 years old, found himself just 32 hits away from joining the prestigious 3000-club.
By reaching this milestone, he joined an exclusive group that includes legendary MLB players. Leading up to this milestone, Pujols had been steadily approaching the achievement.
Albert had come incredibly close to the milestone by securing two hits, including his 620th career home run, against the Baltimore Orioles. Before that, he had obtained his 2999th hit with a double in the second inning.
3. Adrian Beltre - 2017
Adrian Beltre 3000th hit placed him as the 31st player in MLB history to reach such a feat. The remarkable milestone occurred on 30th July 2017.
The iconic hit came in the form of a double off Wade Miley, a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. Notably, he achieved this historic feat while playing for the Texas Rangers, becoming the first player from the Dominican Republic to reach the coveted 3000-hit mark.
At the start of the 2017 season, Beltre was a mere 55 hits away from the milestone. He has demonstrated exceptional consistency and skill throughout his career, leading him to collect an impressive 600 career doubles, a feat achieved by only 17 players in baseball history.
4. Ichiro Suzuki - 2016
Ichiro Suzuki accomplished a significant milestone in his 16th MLB season by collecting his 3000th hit. The achievement occurred in August 2016.
Suzuki achieved this momentous feat while playing for the Miami Marlins, thus becoming the first player born in Japan to attain the revered 3000-hit mark.
His professional baseball career extended beyond his time in the Major Leagues. He amassed a staggering 4,367 hits throughout his career, making him the player with the most hits across all pro baseball leagues in the sport's history.
In addition to reaching this milestone, Ichiro set numerous batting records. He holds the Major League Baseball single-season record for hits with 262, an exceptional achievement.
Moreover, he accomplished an extraordinary feat by achieving 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons, a streak that stands as the longest in the sport's history.
5. Alex Rodriguez - 2015
Alex Rodriguez achieved his 3000th hit shortly after reaching 2000 career runs batted in (RBI). He accomplished this feat with a solo home run in the first inning of a match against the Detroit Tigers in June 2015.
Furthermore, on June 25 of the same year, Rodriguez became the fifth oldest player to hit three home runs in a single game, showcasing his offensive prowess against the Minnesota Twins.
Throughout the season, Alex demonstrated his offensive dominance, boasting a batting average of .277, with 13 home runs and 35 batted in. Additionally, he held the highest on-base percentage on the team, with a stellar .382.
In the initial 95 games of the season, Rodriguez displayed his power-hitting ability by smashing 24 home runs and producing an impressive on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of .930.
However, he experienced a slump without a home run lasting 72 at-bats until finally breaking it on August 18 against the Minnesota Twins.
6. Derek Jeter - 2011
Derek Jeter joined the list of major league baseball players with 3000 hits on July 9, 2011. The milestone was accomplished with a home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price.
Particularly, Jeter's performance on that day was exceptional. He finished the game with a perfect five hits in five at-bats, becoming only the second player in MLB history to achieve five hits on the day he reached the 3000-hit milestone.
Moreover, Derek Jeter joined Wade Boggs as the second player to hit a home run for his 3000th hit, a feat previously accomplished by Boggs in 1999. Among Jeter's five hits, the last one turned out to be the game-winning hit, further highlighting the significance of his accomplishment.
Recognizing the magnitude of Jeter's achievement, MLB and HBO collaborated to produce a documentary titled "Derek Jeter 3k." This iconic documentary provided an insightful profile of Jeter's journey to reaching 3000 hits and was originally aired on July 28, 2011.
7. Craig Biggio - 2007
The 3000th hit for Craig Biggio came just four days before announcing his retirement. The feat came with a single against the Colorado Rockies.
This extraordinary achievement also made Biggio the first player in Houston Astros history to reach the illustrious 3000-hit mark.
Additionally, Biggio's career was distinguished by his impressive doubles record. With 668 doubles, he concluded his career in fifth place on the all-time list, leaving an indelible mark on the sport. Notably, he holds the record for the most doubles by a right-handed hitter.
His versatility and all-around excellence in the game are evident in his unique statistical achievements. Craig Biggio is the sole player in the history of baseball to have recorded 3000 hits, 600 doubles, 400 stolen bases, and 250 home runs.
8. Rafael Palmeiro - 2005
Rafael Palmeiro was just 78 hits away from reaching the impressive milestone of 3000 hits while heading towards the 2005 season.
Throughout that season, he made history by hitting his 563rd career home run, surpassing Reggie Jackson on the all-time home run list. Later on July 15, Palmeiro accomplished the remarkable feat of 3000 hits and 500 home runs.
However, his achievements were overshadowed by controversy. Shortly after reaching these milestones, Palmeiro was suspended for 10 days after testing positive for steroids.
In his final season, Palmeiro played 110 games, accumulating 98 hits, 18 home runs, 60 RBIs, and a batting average of .266. Remarkably, he ended his career having played 2,831 games, the highest number for any player who never participated in the World Series.
9. Rickey Henderson - 2001
Former MLB legend Henderson achieved remarkable milestones in baseball, breaking three major league career records during the 2001 season.
Following his record-breaking feats, surpassing Babe Ruth's 2,062 career walks, Ty Cobb's 2,245 career runs, and Zack Wheat's 2,328 career games in left field, Rickey Henderson made history on the final day of the season by collecting his 3,000th career hit.
After scoring the game's first run, Rickey was taken out of the lineup. At the age of 42, in what would be his final significant season in the major leagues, Henderson concluded the year with 25 stolen bases, ranking ninth in the National League.
This remarkable achievement also marked his 23rd consecutive season with over 20 stolen bases.
10. Cal Ripken Jr. - 2000
Cal Ripken Jr. pursuit of joining the esteemed 3,000-hit club in the 1999 season was cut short due to an unfortunate injury. He was just nine hits away from reaching the milestone.
However, Cal returned triumphantly in the following season and accomplished the feat on April 15th against Minnesota at the Metrodome.
Ripken Jr. singled off reliever Héctor Carrasco to secure his place on the list of MLB players with 3000 hits. Eddie Murray, a fellow member of the club and the Orioles' first-base coach, was quick to congratulate him on this significant achievement.
Unfortunately, he faced a setback as he had to sit out the months of July and August due to a back injury. Despite these challenges, Ripken still had a productive season, appearing in 83 games and batting .256, his lowest batting average since 1992.
