Back in 2017 Albert Pujols set the record for the most home runs hit by a player born outside of the United States. Last night he set the record for the most hits for a player born outside of the United States.
Pujols had two hits and three RBI in last night’s Angels win over the Pirates. The first of those hits was the 3,167th of his career, which moved him past Adrián Beltré and into first place. It also moved him into sole possession of 15th place for career hits, two ahead of Beltré and 16 behind Cal Ripken Jr.
Pujols, at least in his more recent years, gets cast as a “complier” from time to time because he’s no longer an elite hitter as opposed to an aged one. But it’s worth noting that he has reached first on the foreign-born hits lit and 15th on the all-time hits list in just under 19 seasons as a major leaguer. There is only one other guy in the top 25 on the all-time hit list who got where he is in 19 or fewer seasons and that’s Ichiro, who notched 3,089 hits in 19 seasons. Only one member of the 3,000 hit club played fewer than 19 seasons and that was Roberto Clemente, who had an even 3,000 hits in 18 seasons.
That doesn’t make Pujols Ty Cobb or anything, but it’s a pretty good reminder of just how dominant he was for so very long.
