Single Season Leaders for Hits in the American League

These are the players that are there when you need them — bat in hand, ball in play. The men that have mastered the fine art of hitting and combined it with good health to make a season that few will ever achieve — two-hundred plus hits; however, to even appear in the top twenty you will need more than two-hundred thirty hits.

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-hundred all-time single season leaders in American League hits. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season. NOTE: In 1887 Major League Baseball ruled that walks would be added to a player's hits total. This was reversed by a special committee designed for rules then restored by MLB in 1999 (but they do not count as record holders even though their "total" exceeds the actual record holders).
"Unorthodox at the plate, unpredictable on the bases, and unsurpassed in the field, Ichiro Suzuki of the Seattle Mariners is one of the best all-around players ever to pull on a major-league uniform." - JockBio.com (Ichiro Suzuki Page)
Hits
Single Season American League Leaders

'Top 100'
Ichiro Suzuki 262 2004 Seattle Mariners AL 1
George Sisler 257 1920 St. Louis Browns AL 2
Al Simmons 253 1925 Philadelphia Athletics AL 3
Ty Cobb 248 1911 Detroit Tigers AL 4
George Sisler 246 1922 St. Louis Browns AL 5
Ichiro Suzuki 242 2001 Seattle Mariners AL 6
Heinie Manush 241 1928 St. Louis Browns AL 7
Wade Boggs 240 1985 Boston Red Sox AL 8
Darin Erstad 240 2000 Anaheim Angels AL  
Rod Carew 239 1977 Minnesota Twins AL 10
Don Mattingly 238 1986 New York Yankees AL 11
Ichiro Suzuki 238 2007 Seattle Mariners AL  
Harry Heilmann 237 1921 Detroit Tigers AL 13
Jack Tobin 236 1921 St. Louis Browns AL 14
Kirby Puckett 234 1988 Minnesota Twins AL 15
Joe Jackson 233 1911 Cleveland Naps AL 16
Earl Averill 232 1936 Cleveland Indians AL 17
Nap Lajoie 232 1901 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Earle Combs 231 1927 New York Yankees AL 19
Willie Wilson 230 1980 Kansas City Royals AL 20
Charlie Gehringer 227 1936 Detroit Tigers AL 21
Nap Lajoie 227 1910 Cleveland Naps AL  
Sam Rice 227 1925 Washington Senators AL  
Ty Cobb 226 1912 Detroit Tigers AL 24
Joe Jackson 226 1912 Cleveland Naps AL  
Ty Cobb 225 1917 Detroit Tigers AL 26
Harry Heilmann 225 1925 Detroit Tigers AL  
Johnny Hodapp 225 1930 Cleveland Indians AL  
Paul Molitor 225 1996 Minnesota Twins AL  
Ichiro Suzuki 225 2009 Seattle Mariners AL  
Eddie Collins 224 1920 Chicago White Sox AL 31
George Sisler 224 1925 St. Louis Browns AL  
Ichiro Suzuki 224 2006 Seattle Mariners AL  
Kirby Puckett 223 1986 Minnesota Twins AL 34
Charlie Jamieson 222 1923 Cleveland Indians AL 35
Tris Speaker 222 1912 Boston Red Sox AL  
Heinie Manush 221 1933 Washington Senators AL 37
Michael Young 221 2005 Texas Rangers AL  
Lou Gehrig 220 1930 New York Yankees AL 39
Cecil Cooper 219 1980 Milwaukee Brewers AL 40
Derek Jeter 219 1999 New York Yankees AL  
Beau Bell 218 1937 St. Louis Browns AL 42
Rod Carew 218 1974 Minnesota Twins AL  
Lou Gehrig 218 1927 New York Yankees AL  
Joe Jackson 218 1920 Chicago White Sox AL  
George Kell 218 1950 Detroit Tigers AL  
Tris Speaker 218 1923 Cleveland Indians AL  
Cecil Travis 218 1941 Washington Senators AL  
Sam Crawford 217 1911 Detroit Tigers AL 49
Tony Oliva 217 1964 Minnesota Twins AL  
Michael Young 217 2006 Texas Rangers AL  
George Burns 216 1926 Cleveland Indians AL 52
Ty Cobb 216 1909 Detroit Tigers AL  
Baby Doll Jacobson 216 1920 St. Louis Browns AL  
Paul Molitor 216 1991 Milwaukee Brewers AL  
Magglio Ordonez 216 2007 Detroit Tigers AL  
Sam Rice 216 1924 Washington Senators AL  
Sam Rice 216 1926 Washington Senators AL  
Al Simmons 216 1932 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
George Sisler 216 1921 St. Louis Browns AL  
Hal Trosky 216 1936 Cleveland Indians AL  
Joe Vosmik 216 1935 Cleveland Indians AL  
Michael Young 216 2004 Texas Rangers AL  
Dale Alexander 215 1929 Detroit Tigers AL 64
George Brett 215 1976 Kansas City Royals AL  
Joe DiMaggio 215 1937 New York Yankees AL  
Charlie Gehringer 215 1929 Detroit Tigers AL  
Buddy Myer 215 1935 Washington Senators AL  
Kirby Puckett 215 1989 Minnesota Twins AL  
Alex Rodriguez 215 1996 Seattle Mariners AL  
Vernon Wells 215 2003 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Wade Boggs 214 1988 Boston Red Sox AL 72
Doc Cramer 214 1935 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Johnny Damon 214 2000 Kansas City Royals AL  
Charlie Gehringer 214 1934 Detroit Tigers AL  
Derek Jeter 214 2006 New York Yankees AL  
Nap Lajoie 214 1906 Cleveland Naps AL  
Heinie Manush 214 1932 Washington Senators AL  
Tris Speaker 214 1920 Cleveland Indians AL  
Miguel Tejada 214 2006 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Tony Fernandez 213 1986 Toronto Blue Jays AL 81
Jimmie Foxx 213 1932 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Charlie Jamieson 213 1924 Cleveland Indians AL  
Dustin Pedroia 213 2008 Boston Red Sox AL  
Jim Rice 213 1978 Boston Red Sox AL  
Alex Rodriguez 213 1998 Seattle Mariners AL  
Red Rolfe 213 1939 New York Yankees AL  
Ichiro Suzuki 213 2008 Seattle Mariners AL  
Gee Walker 213 1937 Detroit Tigers AL  
Beau Bell 212 1936 St. Louis Browns AL 90
George Brett 212 1979 Kansas City Royals AL  
Ty Cobb 212 1907 Detroit Tigers AL  
Derek Jeter 212 2009 New York Yankees AL  
Ron LeFlore 212 1977 Detroit Tigers AL  
Al Simmons 212 1929 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Ichiro Suzuki 212 2003 Seattle Mariners AL  
Ty Cobb 211 1922 Detroit Tigers AL 97
Ty Cobb 211 1924 Detroit Tigers AL  
Lou Gehrig 211 1931 New York Yankees AL  
Harry Heilmann 211 1923 Detroit Tigers AL 100
Baby Doll Jacobson 211 1921 St. Louis Browns AL  
Don Mattingly 211 1985 New York Yankees AL  
Paul Molitor 211 1993 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Sam Rice 211 1920 Washington Senators AL  
Cal Ripken, Jr. 211 1983 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Al Simmons 211 1930 Philadelphia Athletics AL  
Tris Speaker 211 1916 Cleveland Indians AL  
Current Through 2009 Season


Did you know that Lefty O'Doul, the senior circuit leader for hits during a season, was a relief pitcher for the New York Yankees (1919-1922) and Boston Red Sox (1923) before he was converted to a full time outfielder in the National League?

The code to write the single season hits league splits was developed in 2005, launched during 2006 and made possible by your support — please continue helping us create these kinds of pages by supporting our site.

The National League single season record for hits was set in 1929 by Lefty O'Doul of the Philadelphia Phillies then tied one year later by Bill Terry of the New York Giants. The American League single season record for hits is on this page. Is either the Career Leader for Hits?
Advertising | All-Star Game | A.L.C.S. & N.L.C.S. | Autographs | Awards | Ballparks | The Ballplayers | Baseball Cards | Baseball Charts | Baseball Families
Biographies | Book Shelf | College Baseball | Division Series | Downloads | Fabulous Feats | Famous Firsts | Feedback | Fun & Games | Grave Sites | Hall of Fame
Hitting Charts | Humor & Jokes | Interviews | Legendary Lists | Managers | Movie Time | News Feeds | Newsletter | Obituaries | Opening Day | Pitching Charts
Poetry & Song | Quotes | Record Books | Rules | Scoring | Search & Find | Statmaster | Stats 101 | Support | Team by Team | US Presidents
Umpires | World Series | Year by Year

Copyright © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Design by Geisler Young. Hosted by Hosting 4 Less.
Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Football Almanac | Pigskin Fever | Today in Baseball History.