They don’t, as it’s often said, make ’em like they used.
When it comes to Major League Baseball, they don’t hit ’em like they used to either.
Last month, Albert Pujols collected his 3,000th hit with a short single into right field in Seattle and he may be the last hitter to reach the milestone that we see in a long time.
In MLB this season, hitters have nearly 500 more strikeouts than hits and other factors like infield shifts on defense and an emphasis on hitting for power suggest that the number of hits batters collect will continue to drop.
The closest active player to 3,000, Miguel Cabrera, needs 324 more hits to reach the mark and, thanks to the way the modern game is being played and injury concerns, it’s no guarantee he will reach it.
Behind him is Robinson Cano, who needs 583 hits to reach 3,000. Also once a lock to make it, Cano is serving a PED suspension and it’s unclear what kind of player he’ll be upon his return.
If either guy makes it, both are 35, it won’t be this year, ending a four-year streak when a hitter has reached 3,000 hits (Alex Rodriguez in 2015, Ichiro Suzuki in 2016, Adrian Beltre in 2017 and Pujols in 2018).
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