The Best Hitters of All Time in Major League Baseball

You’ve probably heard motivational talks that cite baseball hitters as an example of one of the lower thresholds of what could be considered success. Hitters’ success comes in the midst of a lot of what those unfamiliar with the game would consider failure. This is how I’ve heard it said…

In baseball, you’re considered a successful hitter if you can get a hit 3 out of ten times up to bat. Think about how much failure is involved in the other seven at-bats.

What most of those people don’t understand is that all 0 for 1 at-bats are not the same. Heck, not even all strikeouts are the same. However, there is a reason why batting average has been a thing in baseball for as long as anyone can remember.

The truth is, you’d actually be among the best hitters of all-time if you consistently went 3/10 (most of whom are just slightly above that .300 number) while playing at the highest levels of professional baseball.

Let me introduce to you the best hitters of all time, as measured by some of the most commonly used metrics in baseball with regards to offensive production at the plate.

But first, let’s take a look at those metrics…

Criteria for Best Hitters

Before I present to you the list of the best hitters of all time, it’s important to take a look at the factors used in making this list. There are lots of different aspects of hitting. Getting walked doesn’t your batting average, nor add to your home run or RBI total (unless the bases are loaded when you walk), but it’s another critical aspect of hitting.

• Batting Average (AVG): Batting average measures how often a player gets a hit relative to their at-bats. It is one of the simplest and oldest statistics in baseball, widely used to assess a hitter’s ability to consistently make contact with the ball.
  • Formula: Hits ÷ At-Bats
  • Why It Matters: A high batting average indicates that a player is effective at getting base hits, which directly contributes to scoring opportunities. However, AVG doesn’t account for walks or power, so it’s often considered alongside other stats like OBP and SLG.
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): OBP measures how often a batter reaches base, including via hits, walks, and being hit by pitches. Unlike batting average, which only counts hits, OBP accounts for all ways a player can avoid an out. A high OBP indicates a hitter’s ability to get on base and avoid outs, making it a key indicator of offensive value.
  • Formula: (Hits + Walks + Hit by Pitches) ÷ (At-Bats + Walks + Hit by Pitches + Sacrifice Flies)
  • Why It Matters: OBP is important because it reflects a player’s overall ability to contribute to their team by getting on base, which creates more scoring opportunities.
• Home Runs (HR): Home runs are counted every time a batter hits the ball out of the park in fair territory, allowing the hitter to round all the bases and score without risk of being put out. It’s the most dramatic and celebrated offensive play in baseball.
  • Why It Matters: HR is a key measure of a player’s power-hitting ability. Players with high home run totals are typically seen as big offensive threats, as they can change the game with one swing, driving in multiple runs.
• Runs Batted In (RBI): RBIs measure how many runs a player generates by driving teammates or themselves (through a home run) across home plate. Every time a batter’s action leads to a teammate scoring, it’s counted as an RBI.
  • Why It Matters: RBIs are a direct measure of a player’s contribution to their team’s ability to score runs. Players with high RBI totals are often clutch performers who excel in producing runs when it matters most, though RBI opportunities are partly dependent on teammates getting on base.
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): SLG measures the total number of bases a player records per at-bat, focusing on power-hitting. Singles count as one base, doubles as two, triples as three, and home runs as four. A high SLG indicates a hitter’s ability to accumulate extra bases, making it a good indicator of power.
  • Formula: (Total Bases) ÷ (At-Bats)
  • Why It Matters: SLG emphasizes the quality of hits rather than just the quantity, meaning it rewards power hitters who consistently get extra-base hits like doubles, triples, and home runs.

Other Factors

There are other factors that affect who is on this list of top hitters all time in baseball. These factors are more subjective, and they are a bit harder to use for direct comparison of hitting capabilities among those who are on this top 10 list. It’s hard to quantify what it means to be a good hitter for a longer period of time time

• Impact on the Game: How much a player influenced the game or set new standards.
• Longevity & Consistency: Players who sustained elite performance for a long time.
• Era of Play: Players from the “Deadball Era” or modern times are considered within their context.

1. Babe Ruth

Ruth’s blend of power and average revolutionized baseball. His 60 home runs in 1927 stood as a record for decades, and his larger-than-life persona brought the game into the mainstream.

• Teams: Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Boston Braves
• Seasons Played: 22 (1914–1935)
• Career Stats: .342 AVG, .474 OBP, .690 SLG, 714 HR, 2,214 RBI

2. Ted Williams

Known as the greatest pure hitter in baseball history, Williams is the last player to hit over .400 in a season (.406 in 1941). He missed several seasons due to military service but still posted incredible numbers.

• Teams: Boston Red Sox
• Seasons Played: 19 (1939–1942, 1946–1960)
• Career Stats: .344 AVG, .482 OBP, .634 SLG, 521 HR, 1,839 RBI

3. Ty Cobb

Cobb holds the highest career batting average in MLB history. His aggressive play and ability to hit to all fields made him a nightmare for pitchers.

• Teams: Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Athletics
• Seasons Played: 24 (1905–1928)
• Career Stats: .366 AVG, .433 OBP, .512 SLG, 117 HR, 1,938 RBI

4. Hank Aaron

Aaron held the all-time home run record for over 30 years, but it was his consistency that set him apart—he also holds the record for career RBIs and total bases.

• Teams: Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers
• Seasons Played: 23 (1954–1976)
• Career Stats: .305 AVG, .374 OBP, .555 SLG, 755 HR, 2,297 RBI

5. Willie Mays

A true five-tool player, Mays was as good with his bat as he was in the field. His ability to hit for power and average while dazzling in center field places him among baseball’s all-time greats.

• Teams: New York/San Francisco Giants, New York Mets
• Seasons Played: 22 (1951–1973)
• Career Stats: .302 AVG, .384 OBP, .557 SLG, 660 HR, 1,903 RBI

6. Stan Musial

Musial’s consistency over 22 seasons earned him three MVP awards and 24 All-Star selections. His ability to hit to all fields made him one of the toughest outs in baseball history.

• Teams: St. Louis Cardinals
• Seasons Played: 22 (1941–1944, 1946–1963)
• Career Stats: .331 AVG, .417 OBP, .559 SLG, 475 HR, 1,951 RBI

7. Lou Gehrig

Known for his durability and consistent production, Gehrig was a key part of the Yankees’ dominance in the 1920s and 1930s. His 2,130 consecutive games streak stood for over 50 years.

• Teams: New York Yankees
• Seasons Played: 17 (1923–1939)
• Career Stats: .340 AVG, .447 OBP, .632 SLG, 493 HR, 1,995 RBI

8. Tony Gwynn

Tony Gwynn is widely regarded as one of the greatest contact hitters in baseball history, with a remarkable career batting average of .338, the highest in the modern era. He won 8 batting titles and struck out only 434 times in over 9,000 at-bats, showcasing his exceptional plate discipline. Gwynn was known for his consistency, his ability to hit to all fields, and his near-perfect understanding of the strike zone, earning him 15 All-Star selections and 7 Silver Slugger Awards.

• Teams: San Diego Padres
• Seasons Played: 20 (1982–2001)
• Career Stats: .338 AVG, .388 OBP, .459 SLG, 135 HR, 1,138 RBI

9. Albert Pujols

Pujols combined power, consistency, and longevity to become one of the greatest hitters of the modern era. His peak seasons with the Cardinals were among the best in history, and his late-career milestones further cemented his legacy.

• Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Seasons Played: 22 (2001–2022)
• Career Stats: .296 AVG, .374 OBP, .544 SLG, 703 HR, 2,218 RBI

10. Rogers Hornsby

Hornsby is the second-highest career batting average in MLB history. He won seven batting titles and hit over .400 three times, showcasing a rare ability to hit for both average and power.

• Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns
• Seasons Played: 23 (1915–1937)
• Career Stats: .358 AVG, .434 OBP, .577 SLG, 301 HR, 1,584 RBI

Honorable Mentions

• Joe DiMaggio: Joe DiMaggio, a New York Yankees legend, is best known for his remarkable 56-game hitting streak in 1941, a record that still stands today. A three-time MVP and nine-time World Series champion, DiMaggio was a complete hitter, combining power (361 home runs) and consistency with a career batting average of .325. His graceful style and clutch hitting made him one of the most revered figures in baseball history.
• Ichiro Suzuki: Ichiro Suzuki revolutionized the role of the contact hitter in modern baseball, collecting over 3,000 MLB hits after an already illustrious career in Japan. Known for his precision hitting, blazing speed, and unmatched consistency, Ichiro finished with a .311 career average and 10 consecutive 200-hit seasons. His impact went beyond the stat sheet, as he bridged the gap between Japanese and American baseball, becoming a global icon.

All of these hitters are legends of baseball history, who still inspire this generation of hitters.

To gain some perspective on my top 10 MLB hitter list, you can compare my list to similar lists made by other sports publications in the past decade or so, including Sportsnaut, Bleacher Report, and Athlon Sports. While the top three on each of these lists (Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, and Hank Aaron) are the same, the rest of the list has some variation.

Notable Hitters Left Off The List

Pete Rose

Pete Rose is the all time hits leader, with 4,256 hits. I’m a big fan of Pete Rose. However, he has some baggage attached to his name and legacy that make it unpopular to have him in the top 10 of the best hitters in MLB history. He was banned from baseball for life in 1989 for gambling, and he has been kept out of the MLB Hall of Fame.

When considering his on-field assessment, Pete Rose also didn’t hit for power nearly as much as the others who made this list of all-time best MLB batters.

Despite those strikes against him, I still use examples of Charlie Hustle to motivate my boys to get better at the game, and there are lots of people who remember the legacy of Pete Rose with endearment.

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds is the all-time home run record holder, with 762 career homers. However, Bonds is usually left off the list of greatest hitters for off-field reasons, including evidence that he was cheating by using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). Baseball has had a