Ty Cobb finished with a career batting average of .366, Rogers Hornsby had a career average of .358, and Joe Jackson, yes, Shoeless Joe Jackson, finished at .356. They are 1-2-3 in career batting averages. Where is Pete Rose? Pete Rose is not in the Top 10. He’s not in the Top 20. He’s not even in the Top 50! Pete Rose ranks 138th of all-time.
What makes someone the best hitter, the best all-around hitter, in MLB history? Just because someone has the most base hits doesn’t make them the best HITTER. Nolan Ryan accumulated 5,714 strikeouts but does that make HIM the best PITCHER in MLB history? I think there are a lot of pitchers who would be considered better pitchers than Ryan, just like there are a lot of players who should definitely be considered better hitters than Pete Rose.
In addition to Cobb, Hornsby, and Jackson, a lot of historians would tell you that Tris Speaker was one of the best hitters ever. But there is usually no doubt that THE best hitter of all-time, with all due respect to players like Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, and Ted Williams HAS to be Babe Ruth.
Ruth, along with hitting those 714 home runs, had a lifetime batting average of .342 and OBP of .474. He accumulated 2,873 hits in just 8,399 at bats. He also had 506 doubles and 136 triples. Rose had 746 doubles, 135 triples, and 160 home runs in nearly 7,500 more at bats.
In what world does Pete Rose’s total of 4,256 base hits make him the “best all-around hitter in MLB history?”
Regardless of the thought process as to whether or not Pete Rose deserved to be reinstated by Major League Baseball, and regardless whether Pete Rose should be considered by the committee and be eligible to be elected to the Hall of Fame, Pete Rose is NOT the best hitter in the history of Major League Baseball.
