Hits : 1969 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)
 

1969 Hits Leaders

Top 25 in the American League

Tony Oliva 197 Minnesota Twins 1
Horace Clarke 183 New York Yankees 2
Paul Blair 178 Baltimore Orioles 3
Frank Howard 175 Washington Senators 4
Tony Horton 174 Cleveland Indians 5
Sal Bando 171 Oakland Athletics 6
Luis Aparicio 168 Chicago White Sox 7
Reggie Smith 168 Boston Red Sox  
Frank Robinson 166 Baltimore Orioles 9
Del Unser 166 Washington Senators  
Leo Cardenas 162 Minnesota Twins 11
Boog Powell 162 Baltimore Orioles  
Don Buford 161 Baltimore Orioles 13
Jim Northrup 160 Detroit Tigers 14
Rico Petrocelli 159 Boston Red Sox 15
Cesar Tovar 154 Minnesota Twins 16
Carl Yastrzemski 154 Boston Red Sox  
Sandy Alomar 153 Chicago White Sox 18
California Angels  
Ed Brinkman 153 Washington Senators  
Danny Cater 153 Oakland Athletics  
Harmon Killebrew 153 Minnesota Twins  
Ken McMullen 153 Washington Senators  
Mark Belanger 152 Baltimore Orioles 23
Rod Carew 152 Minnesota Twins  
Jim Fregosi 151 California Angels 25



The first player from the Angels franchise (they were the California Angels at the time) to wear the number twenty-five was Bob Perry.

Did you know that more than forty players have worn the number twenty-five for the Boston Red Sox — including Jack Clark, Denny Galehouse, Dizzy Trout and Tony Conigliaro.

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.