Rays' Ben Zobrist Becomes 2nd Player in Franchise History with 1,000 Hits

With a leadoff single Wednesday night against the New York Yankees, Ben Zobrist of the Tampa Bay Rays recorded hit No. 1,000 of his career, per MLB.com. It was Zobrist's only base knock of the evening, as he finished the game with one hit in five at-bats.

With the accomplishment, Zobrist became the second player in franchise history to reach the 1,000-hit mark, joining Carl Crawford, who collected 1,480 hits with the team when he called Tampa Bay home from 2002-10. Teammate Evan Longoria should also join this club early in 2015, as the third baseman currently sits with 961 career hits (entering Friday's action).

In addition to hits, Zobrist also leads the franchise with 226 doubles and is second to only Crawford (765) with 559 runs scored. His 101 stolen bases are good enough for third all-time on that list, placing him behind both Crawford (409) and B.J. Upton (232).

The 33-year-old utility player enters Friday just 11 hits shy of his fourth straight 150-hit campaign. He owns a .264 career batting average and needs just one stolen base to hit double-digit steals for the sixth consecutive year.

Despite the consistent productivity over his career, Zobrist finds himself with just 45 RBI in 2014, putting him on pace for a six-year low. This is due mostly to his .198 batting average with runners in scoring position, as he's only converted in 22 of his 111 at-bats with runners on second and/or third.

Nonetheless, Zobrist has been a staple in the early years of the franchise due to his relative consistency and ability to play nearly every infield and outfield position.

His future with the Rays is a bit uncertain, however, as the team has a $7.5 million option on his contract next season, per Spotrac. While that figure makes Zobrist a bargain, the Rays may look to trade the veteran for a younger player or two, as they have often done with their more experienced players in the past.

All stats courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise specified.