The following is a list of the major league baseball players with the most 200 hit seasons. Getting 200 or more hits in a season has long been a barometer measuring how great a season players have had.
What is fascinating about this list is the players who are not on it. Great hitters like George Brett, Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Babe Ruth, and Stan Musial all had 200 hit seasons, but none of them had enough to make this list.
Players with the Most 200 Hit Seasons in Major League Baseball History
T-1. Ichiro Suzuki – 10
Ichiro Suzuki holds the major league baseball record for most 200 hit seasons with 10. Ichiro Suzuki also holds the major league record for most consecutive 200 hit seasons with 10, as he had 200 or more hits from his rookie season in 2001 through the 2010 season with the Seattle Mariners.
Ichiro Suzuki has over 4,000 hits combined from playing in Japan and in the major leagues. Ichiro led the major leagues seven times in hits in a season, and he is very likely to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame when he is eligible. Ichiro impressively holds the record for most hits in a season.
T-1. Pete Rose – 10
Pete Rose is tied with Ichiro Suzuki for the most 200 hit seasons in baseball history with 10. Rose had nine seasons with 200 or more hits while playing for the Cincinnati Reds, and then had a 200 hit season playing for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1979.
Pete Rose is the all-time hits leader in major league baseball history with 4,256 hits. Pete Rose led the major leagues seven times in hits.
3. Ty Cobb – 9
Even though Ty Cobb had one less 200 hit season than Ichiro Suzuki or Pete Rose did, his 200 hits in a season accomplishment is arguably more impressive. That’s because Ty Cobb had nine 200 hit seasons while playing when baseball teams only played 154 games in a season vs the 162 games Ichiro and Rose played in.
Ty Cobb easily holds the record for most batting titles. Cobb led the American League eight times in hits in a season, all while playing for the Detroit Tigers.
T-4. Derek Jeter – 8
Derek Jeter has had eight 200 hit seasons so for in his career playing for the New York Yankees. Jeter has led the league twice in hits, most impressively with 216 in 2012 when he was 38 years old.
Derek Jeter also had 200 hit seasons for the Yankees in 1998 (203), 1999 (219 led league), 2000 (201), 2005 (202), 2006 (214), 2007 (206), and 2009 (212).
T-4 Lou Gehrig – 8
Like Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig played when baseball teams only played 154 games in a season, so Gehrig’s eight 200 hit seasons are arguably more impressive than Derek Jeter’s. Lou Gehrig only led the league once in hits in 1931 with 211.
T-4. Willie Keeler – 8
Wee Willie Keeler, one of the shortest players in major league baseball history, had eight seasons with 200 or more hits. Keeler had the 200 hit seasons consecutively from 1894 to 1901. He led the league three times in hits.
T-4. Paul Waner – 8
Even though he was badly near-sighted and did not wear glasses and was also a heavy drinker, Paul Waner managed to get 200 or more hits in a season eight times while playing when baseball teams only played 154 games in a season during his career.