Hits : 1918 American League Top 25

Finding the American or National League leader in virtually every hitting & pitching statistic is easy-to-do. Finding the top 25 players during any given season is far more challenging. Baseball Almanac has taken away that difficult problem and is pleased to present the data you requested:

"Although baseball decided to extend the regular season deeper into October to play 162 games (after the 09-11 disaster), why not just play 154? Baseball has dealt with shortened seasons before. (Bud) Selig spoke about the sanctity of playing 162 games, but baseball played 154 games until 1961. Baseball should have just let the games go and continued with the current schedule." - Joe Morgan on ESPN (September 19, 2001)
 

1918 Hits Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

George Burns 178 Philadelphia Athletics 1
Ty Cobb 161 Detroit Tigers 2
Frank Baker 154 New York Yankees 3
George Sisler 154 St. Louis Browns  
Tris Speaker 150 Cleveland Indians 5
Eddie Foster 147 Washington Senators 6
Clyde Milan 146 Washington Senators 7
Bobby Veach 139 Detroit Tigers 8
Harry Hooper 137 Boston Red Sox 9
Jack Tobin 133 St. Louis Browns 10
Larry Gardner 132 Philadelphia Athletics 11
Burt Shotton 132 Washington Senators  
Joe Judge 131 Washington Senators 13
Del Pratt 131 New York Yankees  
Doc Lavan 129 Washington Senators 15
Buck Weaver 126 Chicago White Sox 16
Joe Wood 125 Cleveland Indians 17
Tilly Walker 122 Philadelphia Athletics 18
Ray Chapman 119 Cleveland Indians 19
Chick Gandil 119 Chicago White Sox  
Frank Gilhooley 118 New York Yankees 21
Donie Bush 117 Detroit Tigers 22
Stuffy McInnis 115 Boston Red Sox 23
Ray Demmitt 114 St. Louis Browns 24
Howie Shanks 112 Washington Senators 25



Future Hall of Famer Sammy Sosa is best known for wearing number twenty-one; however, when the young slugger played for the Chicago White Sox (1989-1991) he only wore number twenty-five.

The most recognizable Detroit Tiger to wear the number twenty-five was probably Norm Cash (who wore it from 1960 through 1974), but did you know that Hall of Famer Larry Doby also wore it during his single season with Detroit?

Jim Thome wore number twenty-five since he first came up with the Cleveland Indians making him the franchise record holder for that particular number (Mike Garcia is second).