Last night against the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols went 2-4, and in doing so, broke the 3,000-hit barrier for his career. He joins a group of just 32 players who have collected 3,000 over the course of their careers. Those players are:
(Courtesy of Wikipedia)
| Pete Rose | 4,256 | .303 | May 5, 1978 | Cincinnati Reds |
| Ty Cobb | 4,191[b] | .367 | August 19, 1921 | Detroit Tigers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hank Aaron | 3,771 | .305 | May 17, 1970 | Atlanta Braves |
| Stan Musial | 3,630 | .331 | May 13, 1958 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Tris Speaker | 3,514 | .345 | May 17, 1925 | Cleveland Indians |
| Derek Jeter | 3,465 | .310 | July 9, 2011 | New York Yankees |
| Honus Wagner | 3,430 | .329 | June 9, 1914 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Carl Yastrzemski | 3,419 | .285 | September 12, 1979 | Boston Red Sox |
| Paul Molitor | 3,319 | .306 | September 16, 1996 | Minnesota Twins |
| Eddie Collins | 3,314 | .333 | June 3, 1925 | Chicago White Sox |
| Willie Mays | 3,283 | .302 | July 18, 1970 | San Francisco Giants |
| Eddie Murray | 3,255 | .287 | June 30, 1995 | Cleveland Indians |
| Nap Lajoie | 3,252[d] | .339 | September 27, 1914 | Cleveland Naps |
| Cal Ripken Jr. | 3,184 | .276 | April 15, 2000 | Baltimore Orioles |
| George Brett | 3,154 | .305 | September 30, 1992 | Kansas City Royals |
| Paul Waner | 3,152 | .333 | June 19, 1942 | Boston Braves |
| Robin Yount | 3,142 | .285 | September 9, 1992 | Milwaukee Brewers |
| Tony Gwynn | 3,141 | .338 | August 6, 1999 | San Diego Padres |
| Alex Rodriguez | 3,115 | .295 | June 19, 2015 | New York Yankees |
| Dave Winfield | 3,110 | .283 | September 16, 1993 | Minnesota Twins |
| Ichiro Suzuki | 3,089 | .311 | August 7, 2016 | Miami Marlins |
| Adrián Beltré | 3,075 | .287 | July 30, 2017 | Texas Rangers |
| Craig Biggio | 3,060 | .281 | June 28, 2007 | Houston Astros |
| Rickey Henderson | 3,055 | .279 | October 7, 2001 | San Diego Padres |
| Rod Carew | 3,053 | .328 | August 4, 1985 | California Angels |
| Lou Brock | 3,023 | .293 | August 13, 1979 | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Rafael Palmeiro | 3,020 | .288 | July 15, 2005 | Baltimore Orioles |
| Cap Anson | 3,011[a] | .331 | July 18, 1897[a] | Chicago Colts |
| Wade Boggs | 3,010 | .328 | August 7, 1999 | Tampa Bay Devil Rays |
| Al Kaline | 3,007 | .297 | September 24, 1974 | Detroit Tigers |
| Albert Pujols | 3,001 | .304 | May 4, 2018 | Los Angeles Angels |
| Roberto Clemente | 3,000 | .317 | September 30, 1972 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
Pujols, is actually the fourth player over the last four years to break into the club, as Adrian Beltre did it last year, Ichiro Suzuki did it in 2016, and Alex Rodriguez accomplished the feat in 2015.
Prior to that, no one had joined the club since Derek Jeter did so in 2011.
Miguel Cabrera is the next closest active player to 3,000 hits with 2,666 at the moment. Assuming he stays healthy-ish, he could break into the club in 2020. Robinson Cano of the Mariners has a shot as well as he currently sits on 2,408 hits — 592 short of 3,000. If Cano keeps up his current pace, he would eclipse 3,000 sometime in 2021.
Bill James has a relatively well-known formula used to predict the probability of a player reaching 3,000 hits called “The Favorite Toy.” James’ formula predicts an 80% chance of Cabrera being the next player to get his 3,000th hit, with Houston Astros star Jose Altuve next at 45% and Robinson Cano at 40%.
Getting back to Pujols for a second, and while 3,000 hits in an incredible feat, his hit last night put him into a much more exclusive club — that of players with 3,000 hits and 600 home runs — a list comprised of just 4 players: Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriguez, and now, Albert Pujols.
Not bad for a former 13th round pick. Congrats Albert.
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