It’s been a rough day for right-hander Trevor Bauer, who plunked three batters, walked two, surrendered a run on a wild pitch, and served Miguel Cabrera his 2,500th career hit during Sunday’s Tigers-Indians game. In the third inning, Cabrera lined the first pitch of his at-bat into right field, where it dropped for the slugger’s milestone hit:
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At 33 years old, Cabrera joins the ranks of 100 major leaguers to reach 2,500 career hits and seven who have reached 2,500 or more hits by their 33rd year, including Ty Cobb (2,856), Rogers Hornsby (2,705), Hank Aaron (2,618), Robin Yount (2,602), Alex Rodriguez (2,531), Mel Ott (2,528), and Jimmie Foxx (2,516).
Of the eight sluggers (and seven Hall of Famers, barring Rodriguez), 1929 Cubs infielder Rogers Hornsby saw the fewest plate appearances by age 33, racking up over 2,700 hits in just 8,636 PA. Cobb, by far the most prolific hitter over his 16 seasons, reached 2,856 hits while contributing just 69 home runs — though his 218 triples stand unchallenged by any of the other names on the list.
Cabrera distinguishes himself from the group with the fourth-most extra bases, thanks in large part to his 441 home runs and in very small part to just 17 triples. Like Hank Aaron, it only took him 14 seasons in the majors to break into the 2,500-hit club, and he sits behind Hornsby and Cobb with just 8,946.
No matter how you slice it, it’s an impressive feat for the Tigers’ star slugger, whose name has been central to MVP discussions since his rookie season in 2003. Among active players in the majors, only 33-year-old Robinson Cano appears anywhere close to Cabrera’s record, with 2,191 hits spanning his 12-year career so far.
