Unbelievable MLB Records: The Hits That Shattered History and Still Stand Untouched Today

You know, when you think about the all-time great hitters in Major League Baseball, names like Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle often leap to mind. But here’s a little twist—the record holders for most hits in a game, a single season, and over a career? They’re not exactly household names, at least not in the celebrity sense. Take Pete Rose, for example—he may not be the most beloved figure in baseball history, but he undeniably knew how to find those gaps and turn them into hits like no one else. It makes you wonder: is it more impressive to shine for one unforgettable game, to dominate a whole season, or to persist and pile up hits over a career? From Johnny Burnett’s astonishing nine-hit marathon in 1932 to Ichiro Suzuki’s record-smashing 262 hits in 2004, and Rose’s staggering 4,256 lifetime hits, these feats tell a story about the art and grind of hitting that often flies under the radar. So let’s dive into the history books, and uncover just who really knew how to swing it where defenders fear to tread. LEARN MORE.
Since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941, only Tony Gwynn (.394, 1994), George Brett (.390, 1980), Williams (.388, 1957), Rod Carew (.388, 1977), Larry Walker (.379, 1999) and Stan Musial (.376, 1948) have posted a higher batting average than the .372 Ichiro hit in 2004.

After their first four games of the 2022 season, Wander Franco and Steven Kwan were leading Major League Baseball in hits.

First, let’s finish our thought on the most hits in a game. The performances by Burnett, Colavito (22 innings), Gutierrez (12) and Crawford (14) all came in extra-inning contests. So what’s the record for hits in a nine-inning affair?

Ichiro finished with over 200 hits in 10 straight seasons between 2001-10 and became only the seventh player to end up with 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases for his career.

Along with Hall of Fame ballplayer Ty Cobb (4,191), he’s one of only two players in the 4,000-hit club.  

Hank Aaron is the only one in the top 10 to reach both 3,000-hit and 500-home run milestones. Of course, he finished with 755 homers and Musial’s 475 is second among this group.

Most Hits in a Game: 9 – Johnny Burnett, 1932

The record holders for most hits in a game, season and career in MLB history aren’t the most popular players. But for a day, season or career in Pete Rose’s case, they certainly knew how to hit it where they ain’t.

Franco had gone nine for his first 13 at-bats for the Tampa Bay Rays and the relatively unknown Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians caught everyone’s attention by going 9 for 13 over the first five-day stretch of the lockout-delayed campaign.   

In 2014, Jeter ended up sixth on the all-time regular-season list with 3,465 hits – still nearly 800 away from fellow perennial All-Star Pete Rose’s historic mark of 4,256 set from 1963-86.

Most Hits in a Season: 262 – Ichiro Suzuki, 2004 (Modern-Day Record)

Burnett, a shortstop who hit .284 with 521 career hits over nine seasons, became the first player to have at least seven hits in a game that day.

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Charlie Hustle had 10 200-hit seasons, but he never had more than three in a row. (We mentioned earlier that Ichiro had 10 straight 200-hit seasons from 2001-10. He finished with 4,367 hits if you include his 1,278 over nine years in Japan.)

But what about the most hits in a playoff game? In a season? In a career? Well, we’ve delved into the history books to bring you the answers to those questions and more.

Most Hits in a Career: 4,256 – Pete Rose, 1963-86

Stennett holds the record, going 7 for 7 with two doubles and a triple in a 22-0 rout at Wrigley Field on Sept. 16, 1975.

Of course, Ichiro Suzuki holds that modern-day record, breaking George Sisler’s 83-year-old standard during his remarkable 2004 season with the Seattle Mariners.

But four games? Five days? Cleveland’s Johnny Burnett only needed one to record his modern-day, big league-record nine hits, though it came over 11 at-bats and 18 innings in a wild 18-17 loss to the Philadelphia Athletics on July 10, 1932.

The post The Most Hits in a Game, Season and Career in MLB History appeared first on Opta Analyst.

Arguably Rose’s best season came in 1969 with the Cincinnati Reds. He hit .348 with 33 doubles, 11 triples, 16 home runs and 82 RBIs, and won his first of two Gold Glove Awards in the outfield.

Pete Browning of the Louisville Colonels and Tip O’Neill of the St. Louis Browns hold the all-time single-season mark, with Denny Lyons of the Philadelphia Athletics fifth on the list because of their performance during the apparently hit-happy 1887 season.
Since then, Rocky Colavito and Cesar Gutierrez of the Detroit Tigers, Rennie Stennett of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brandon Crawford of the San Francisco Giants have all joined the club.