Last 200-hit performance for all franchises

by Chris Jaffe
August 21, 2009

This is similar to what I did for 20-win pitchers yesterday: a list of the last time a player on any team collected 200 hits in a season. First, some fun questions: before checking the list can you guess:

– The only team who has never had a 200-hit performance by anyone on its roster?

– Aside from the one never-done team, all other clubs have had at least one 200-hit season since 1990. The other hasn’t had one since the 1970s. Who is that?

– Three players can claim to be the last 200-hitter for two different franchises. Who are they?

Results below, broken up into fives for convenience sake. As is usual in these lists, the more interesting parts are the ones further down:

2008 SEA Ichiro! Suzuki
2008 NYM Jose Reyes
2008 BOX Dustin Pedroia
2007 COL Matt Holliday
2007 NYY Derek Jeter

2007 DET Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco
2007 FLO Hanley Ramirez
2007 PHI Jimmy Rollins
2007 TEX Michael Young
2006 CHC Juan Pierre

2006 PIT Freddy Sanchez
2006 ANA Vladimir Guerrero
2006 BAL Miguel Tejada
2004 SDP Matt Loretta
2004 LAD Adrian Beltre

2003 STL Albert Pujols
2003 TOR Vernon Wells
2002 MON Vladimir Guerrero
2002 OAK Miguel Tejada
2001 SFG Rich Aurilla

2000 KCR Johnny Damon
1999 ARZ Luis Gonzalez
1998 CWS Albert Belle
1998 HOU Craig Biggio
1996 ATL Marquis Grissom

1996 CLE Kenny Lofton
1996 MIN Paul Molitor
1991 MIL Paul Molitor
1977 CIN Pete Rose
NEVER: TBR

The three who appear twice are Vladimir Guerrero, Miguel Tejada, and Paul Molitor. The last one is the best one because both appearances on the list predate dang near all other squads.

Wanna win a bar bet somewhere: Ask who was the last White Sox to get 200 hits in a seasons. I doubt many will think Albert Belle.

Craig Biggio’s 1998 season is the only time any Astro has ever collected that many hits in a season.

3 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Ryan JL

14 years ago

The Jays came pretty close in ‘93 when they had the top three hitters in batting average. Molitor had 211 hits, Olerud had 200 and Alomar was at 192.

Cool!

Possible contenders to break decent droughts this year:

-Carl Crawford should break the franchise-long drought for Tampa. He needs 48 more hits. Of course he’s come very close before.

-Aaron Hill can break Toronto’s 5-year drought if he picks it up a bit. Needs 52 more.

-It would be absolutely insane if Mauer broke the 12-year drought for the Twins—but I refuse to rule him out. He would basically have to continue hitting .380 though—needs 61 more hits.

-Ryan Braun needs 55 more hits to break the other Molitor-curse. Basically hit .333 or so.

-Tejada needs 51 hits to have HOU’s second such season.

-Keep waiting, Cincy. Leader is Phillips with 108.

lar

Good list. Here’s another good question (though I’m cheating because I know the answer): do you know the last time there were three 200-hit players on the same team? It’s only happened 3 times in the last 50 years.

The answer, as can be seen here, was in 1991, when Rafael Palmiero, Ruben Sierra, and Julio Franco achieved it for the Rangers. The other “recent” squads to do it were the ‘82 Brewers and ‘63 Cards. You have to go back to the ‘30s for the next in the list.