Derek Jeter and the 10 Current Players Who Will Get 3,000 Hits
One of the most impressive accomplishments in baseball is 3,000 hits.
Joining the 3,000 hit club requires a combination of both performance and longevity and only 27 players to ever play the game can claim to be members.
Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Willie Mays—some of the most recognizable names in the history of the game are included on this exclusive list.
I'd be remiss if I didn't include this.
Like all baseball records the accomplishment is potentially marred by the steroid scandal of baseball over the past 20 years—Rafael Palmeiro for example, is a member of the club and heavily tied to the steroid era.
However, the 3,000 hit club isn't likely to be as scrutinized as the even more exclusive 500 home run club—where the list looks like a who's-who of the Mitchell Report.
Other than was just mentioned, I'm going to leave the steroid topic out of this discussion—as that is a completely different article all of it's own.
Controversy or not, there's reason to believe that that list will be expanded by 10 in the upcoming years.
Some of the guys on my list are sure things, some need a little luck and couple still have a long way to go—but they've got a good start.
Here they are in order of their likelihood of reaching this difficult milestone.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
There's several players who are close, but are likely running out of time to make a run at 3,000.
Among the leaders—Omar Vizquel, Vladimir Guerrero, Chipper Jones and Carlos Lee. They're all tremendous pros who are simply running out of time.
Some younger players too—who seem to have at once have had a shot—either got off to a late start in their careers or are making too many trips to the disabled list.
Joe Mauer, Carl Crawford, David Wright, Jose Reyes and Nick Markakis are among these players.
Finally, there are some young players who have a shot if (a big if) they are able to maintain their production and establish long careers.
Most notably Starlin Castro and Jason Heyward have hit the ground running to start their careers.
Derek Jeter
2 of 11
The lifelong Yankee has been remarkably consistent during his 16-year career with New York.
Ten seasons with 190 more hits in his career and none lower than 156 have put the ultimate Yankee on the cusp of 3,000.
He's a no doubt member of the club as he's not even 37 yet and only 25 hits shy of the distinction.
As he's getting closer, it seems each hit is getting harder for Jeter as his average is slowly dipping toward .250. Still, it's only a matter of time until he joins the club and there's no reason to believe that he couldn't make his way into the top-10 hit leaders of all time.
Alex Rodriguez
3 of 11
While A-Rod's sights may ultimately be on the all-time home run record, he is another no-doubter to join the 3,000 hit club.
Rodriguez has been simply amazing during his career having only one full-time season with less than 30 home runs and 100 RBI.
He's also been remarkably durable with only one season of less than 500 at-bats since 1996.
If he puts as much effort into collecting hits as he does into dating A-list actresses, he might end up pushing for 4,000 hits.
.png?w=256)
Ivan Rodriguez
4 of 11
Ivan Rodriguez's best days are behind him.
After a tremendous career in which he will go down as one of the best catchers to ever play the game, he's literally, inching toward the 3,000 marker with barely over 100 hits in each of the past three seasons.
Still, he's only 168 hits away from the mark and while almost 40 years old he's still playing regularly enough to think that he should hit the mark before the end of the 2012 season.
Ichiro Suzuki
5 of 11
What Ichiro Suzuki has done is unbelievable.
He's never had less than 206 hits in his 10 year career and doesn't show any sign of slowing down. As a .330 career hitter who has been very durable—baring an injury—there's no doubt he'll reach 3,000 before the end of the 2014 season.
Ichiro didn't start playing in the US until he was 27.
If he had started at 23 we'd be talking about whether he would be the third man to join the 4,000 hit club.
Miguel Cabrera
6 of 11
Barely 28 years old, Cabrera got started very early on his quest to 3,000 hits.
He's averaged 188 hits during his seven full seasons meaning that he's on pace to hit the 3,000 mark when he's 36 years old.
The question with Cabrera has to be if his hard-living ways will affect his performance going forward. Thus far in 2011, he seems to have straightened up.
While he's the youngest guy on the list—and arguably the most talented—Cabrera still has a long way to go and a lot of doubters to disprove.
Johnny Damon
7 of 11
Damon's consistency and his new home in Tampa Bay will ultimately be what earn him a ticket to the 3,000 club.
Damon is 37 but less than 400 hits from 3,000 and his biggest obstacle toward the milestone may have been solved—he may have found a home with the Rays.
After a cameo appearance in Detroit, Damon has been a huge part of the Rays lineup thus far and may have latched onto a team that he can reach the record books with.
Albert Pujols
8 of 11
Although slightly behind the pace of Miguel Cabrera—much like Cabrera—Albert Pujols is another player who got started early and hasn't let up.
While his pending free agency seems to be affecting his performance thus far—he's hitting .268 despite a career .329 average—Pujols is still in very good shape to hit 3,000.
Where he ends up next season will surely have an affect on his numbers, but at 31 and barely over 1,000 hits from the goal he seems to be a safe bet to reach 3,000 hits.
Bobby Abreu
9 of 11
One of the more surprising names on the list - Bobby Abreu is nearly 700 hits from 3,000 and 37 years old—the Angel's outfielder makes the list because of the incredible consistency he has shown during his career.
Abreu hasn't shown signs that he's hitting a wall like several others in his position are.
If Abreu can keep up similar hit totals that he has the last few year through the 2015 season he should reach the mark.
The 2015 season would put him at 41 and near the end of his career—but his durability thus far lead me to believe it's possible.
While he is still producing, he's sure to find a full-time job somewhere once his contract expires in LA—which will be key to him reaching 3,000 hits.
Adrian Beltre
10 of 11
Although sitting at less than 2,000 hits, Adrian Beltre will make it to 3,000 due to his current contract status alone.
Beltre signed a six-year deal with the Rangers in the offseason, meaning that if he averages 160 hits per season (well within his pace) during that span he will be at nearly 2,900 hits at 38 years old.
The Rangers are paying Beltre so he is going to play, and thus far in 2011 his performance shows no sign of letting up.
Robinson Cano
11 of 11
Probably not a name you expected to see on this list, but Robinson Cano is poised to take over as the face of the Yankees.
He's already 28 and will probably be around 1,500 hits at 30.
Still, there's reason to believe that Cano can reach 3,000 despite being behind the pace of the rest of the players on this list.
Cano has been drastically improving, he has over 200 hits each of the past two years, and is bordering on superstar status.
He's a guy who has thrived in the limelight of the big apple playing his best as the productivity of Yankee stalwarts like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez has begun to decline.
He's been incredibly durable over his career with an average of nearly 620 at-bats over the past four seasons and a career .307 average.
Cano has some ground to make up but his talent and situation tell me he's the last guy on this list who will join the 3,000 club of MLB sluggers.
.png?w=480)
