Ty Cobb's career batting average is probably the most impressive and untouchable record in all of baseball. In his 24-year career, Cobb compiled a career batting average of .367. He tops the next closest player by nine points and the closest active player by thirty-five points.
Because the top ten active players aren't even close to being in the running, this record is considered close to untouchable. These players include, Albert Pujols, Ichiro Suzuki, Todd Helton, Vladimir Guerrero, Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, Magglio Ordonez, Chipper Jones, and Alex Rodriguez
- B/R Ticket Guide
This list have combined to hit over that .367 mark in only three seasons. That just happens to be the number of seasons in which Ty Cobb hit over .400.
In fact, the only player in the Top 20 in career batting average from the last 20 years is Tony Gwynn. His average only puts him at 15th best all time. Gwynn only surpassed the great Ty Cobb's life time average four times in his twenty year career.
Finally, since 1988, only ten times has a player hit over the .367 career mark of Ty Cobb. The fact that someone would have to do this for a sustained amount of time is becoming more and more unrealistic.
This being said, Cobb's mark is probably the most likely never to be broken. It makes a high average that much more impressive and that much bigger of an accomplishment.
For example, since it has been 66 years now since someone has hit .400, if anyone ever accomplishes that feat they will be respected as one of the great hitters of their era.
And if a player every seriously approached Cobb's record or even the Top Ten in all time average, they would be considered one of the great hitters not only of their generation, but of all time.
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7 months ago
Good read. Ty Cobb, although not the best person, was one of the finest hitters in MLB history. Nice article!
4 months ago
Could not agree more. Not even close. Cobb was the greatest hitter of all time.
Norm Coleman
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