In baseball, a hitting streak is the number of consecutive official games in which a player appears and gets at least one base hit. According to the Official Baseball Rules, such a streak is not necessarily ended when a player has at least 1 plate appearance and no hits. A streak shall not be terminated if all official plate appearances result in a base on balls, hit by pitch, defensive interference or a sacrifice bunt. The streak shall terminate if the player has a sacrifice fly and no hit.
Joe DiMaggio holds the Major League Baseball record with a streak of 56 consecutive games in 1941 which began on May 15 and ended July 17. DiMaggio hit .408 during his streak (91-for-223), with 15 home runs and 55 runs batted in.
Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks holds the Major League Baseball postseason record with a streak of 20 consecutive games, with the streak beginning in his first playoff game appearance. The streak began in 2017 on October 14 and was broken up in Game 5 of the 2023 World Series on November 1st, striking out as the final batter for Arizona as the Texas Rangers won the series. Marte hit .352 during his streak (31-for-88), with 3 home runs and 13 runs batted in.
Major League Baseball Regular season leaders
There have been 57 occurrences in Major League Baseball where a player had a hitting streak of at least 30 games. Multiple streaks in the same season have occurred in 1922 (George Sisler and Rogers Hornsby), 1987 (Paul Molitor and Benito Santiago), 1997 (Nomar Garciaparra and Sandy Alomar Jr.), 1999 (Vladimir Guerrero and Luis Gonzalez), 2006 (Chase Utley and Willy Taveras), and 2011 (Andre Ethier and Dan Uggla). In addition, 1924 included one whole streak (Sam Rice) and the beginning of another (George Sisler). A similar event occurred in 2006 with two whole streaks (Utley and Taveras) and the end of another (Jimmy Rollins).
#PlayerTeamGamesYear(s)1New York Yankees5619412Baltimore Orioles45 (44)1896–973Cincinnati Reds4419784Chicago Colts4218945St. Louis Browns4119226Detroit Tigers4019117Milwaukee Brewers3919878Philadelphia Phillies38 (36)2005–069Boston Braves37194510Washington Senators361896–9711Louisville Colonels351895Detroit Tigers351917St. Louis Browns35 (34)1924–25Florida Marlins352002Philadelphia Phillies35200616St. Louis Browns341938Boston Red Sox341949San Diego Padres34198719New York Giants331893New York Highlanders331907St. Louis Cardinals331922Washington Senators331933Atlanta Braves33201124Detroit Tigers321922–23Cincinnati Reds321996–9726Louisville Colonels311885–86Philadelphia Phillies311899Cleveland Naps311906Washington Senators311924Cincinnati Reds311965–66Los Angeles Dodgers311969Atlanta Braves311970Detroit Tigers31 (30)1975–76Minnesota Twins311980Montreal Expos311999Kansas City Royals31 (11)2018–1937Chicago White Stockings301876Cincinnati Reds301895–96Cincinnati Reds301898Boston Red Sox301912Pittsburgh Pirates301922–23Boston Braves301927–28Washington Senators301929–30Detroit Tigers301934St. Louis Cardinals301950Kansas City Royals301980Chicago Cubs301989Cleveland Indians301997Boston Red Sox301997Baltimore Orioles301998Arizona Diamondbacks301999St. Louis Cardinals302003Houston Astros302006New York Mets302007Washington Nationals302009Los Angeles Dodgers302011Atlanta Braves302016
Keeler's streak started in his final game of the 1896 season, and continued through the first 44 games of the 1897 season. Rollins ended the 2005 season with a 36-game streak and extended it through the first two games of the 2006 season. Sisler had a hit in the last game of 1924 and the first 34 games of 1925. Major League Baseball recognizes two hitting streak records: Longest hitting streak in one season, and longest hitting streak over multiple seasons (e.g. Rollins 2005–2006). Keeler's, Sisler's, and Rollins' streaks are listed as 44, 34, and 36 games when discussing single-season streaks, and 45, 35, and 38 games when discussing multiple-season streaks.
This list omits Denny Lyons of the 1887 American Association Philadelphia Athletics, who had a 52-game hitting streak. In 1887, the major leagues adopted a new rule which counted walks as hits, a rule which was dropped after that season. Lyons hit in 52 consecutive games that season, but his streak included two games (#22 and #44) in which his only "hits" were walks. In 1968, MLB ruled that walks in 1887 would not be counted as hits, so Lyons' streak was no longer recognized, though it still appears on some lists. In 2000 Major League Baseball reversed its 1968 decision, ruling that the statistics which were recognized in each year's official records should stand, even in cases where they were later proven incorrect. Paradoxically, the ruling affects only hit totals for the year; the batting champion for the year is not recognized as the all-time leader despite having the highest single-season average under the ruling, and Lyons' hitting streak is not recognized.
Ty Cobb, Sam Rice, and George Sisler are the only players with multiple streaks of 30 games or longer.
There have been 129 single-season streaks of 25 games or more. The lowest batting average ever recorded during a hitting streak of 25 games or more was .304 by Bruce Campbell in 1938. The highest was .486 during Chuck Klein's streak in 1930. Joe DiMaggio hit .408 during his record-holding 56-game streak. In probability theory, every baseball game is a Bernoulli trial in which a hitter either does or does not get a hit. DiMaggio's streak of 56 consecutive games with hits awaits an equal streak: "The probability is .0003 that a .350 hitter will have a hitting streak of at least 56 games in a season. If there are about four such seasons per year in the future, such a streak would be expected, assuming the Bernoulli trials model, every 1/(.0003 x 4) = 833 years."C.M. Grinstead, W.P. Peterson & J. Laurie Snell (2011) Probability Tales, page 37, American Mathematical Society
Postseason leaders Key
* Active Hitting Streak † Active Player during 2023 MLB Season ‡ Member of Baseball Hall of Fame Source:
#PlayerTeamGamesYear(s)1†Arizona Diamondbacks202017–20232New York Yankees171956–1958‡New York Yankees2003–2004Boston Red Sox2003–20045Toronto Blue Jays161991–1993†Houston Astros2020–20217Kansas City Royals152015Atlanta Braves1995–1996‡Oakland Athletics1989–199010‡Pittsburgh Pirates141960, 1971
Major League Baseball records by franchise Only currently extant franchises are included on this list. Where a player had a significant streak while the team was in other than its current city, the records in these other cities are displayed. As above, for a multi-year streak, the single-season streak is shown in parentheses.http://baseballevolution.com/richard/hitting_streaks.xls Richard Van Zandt, BaseballEvolution.com, http://baseballevolution.com/richard/hitstreaks.html . The article and research are dated June 2009; retrieved March 8, 2012.
TeamPlayerGamesYear(s)Arizona DiamondbacksLuis Gonzalez301999Atlanta BravesTommy Holmes (Boston Braves)371945Dan Uggla (Atlanta Braves)332011Hank Aaron (Milwaukee Braves)251956Baltimore OriolesGeorge Sisler (St. Louis Browns)411922Eric Davis (Baltimore Orioles)301998Boston Red SoxDom DiMaggio341949Chicago CubsBill Dahlen (Chicago Colts)421894Chicago White SoxCarlos Lee282004Cincinnati RedsPete Rose441978Cleveland GuardiansNapoleon Lajoie (Cleveland Naps)311906Colorado RockiesNolan Arenado282014Detroit TigersTy Cobb401911Houston AstrosWilly Taveras302006Kansas City RoyalsWhit Merrifield312018–19Los Angeles AngelsGarret Anderson281998Los Angeles DodgersWillie Davis (Los Angeles Dodgers)311969Zack Wheat (Brooklyn Dodgers)291916Miami MarlinsLuis Castillo (Florida Marlins)352002Milwaukee BrewersPaul Molitor (Milwaukee Brewers)391987Tommy Davis (Seattle Pilots)181969Minnesota TwinsHeinie Manush (Washington Senators)331933Ken Landreaux (Minnesota Twins)311980New York MetsMoisés Alou302007New York YankeesJoe DiMaggio561941Oakland AthleticsBill Lamar (Philadelphia Athletics)291925Jason Giambi (Oakland Athletics)251997Héctor López (Kansas City Athletics)221957Vic Power (Kansas City Athletics)1958Philadelphia PhilliesJimmy Rollins38 (36)2005–06Pittsburgh PiratesJimmy Williams271899San Diego PadresBenito Santiago341987San Francisco GiantsGeorge Davis (New York Giants)331893Jack Clark (San Francisco Giants)261978Seattle MarinersIchiro Suzuki272009St. Louis CardinalsRogers Hornsby331922Tampa Bay RaysYandy Díaz202024Texas RangersGabe Kapler (Texas Rangers) 282000Ken McMullen (Washington Senators)191967Toronto Blue JaysShawn Green281999Washington NationalsVladimir Guerrero (Montreal Expos)311999Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals)302009
Minor League Baseball leaders The longest streaks in the history of Minor League Baseball and other professional baseball leagues: "Western League", The Sporting Life, July 6, 1895, p. 14 https://www.retroseasons.com/library/sporting-life/1895-07-06/
RankPlayerLeagueGamesYear(s)1Joe WilhoitWestern League6919192Joe DiMaggioPacific Coast League6119333Román MejíasBig State League5519544Rasty Wright (outfielder)Western League (1885-1899)511894-955Otto PahlmanIllinois–Indiana–Iowa League501922Francisco MejiaCarolina League5020167Jack NessPacific Coast League491915Harry ChozenSouthern League4919459Johnny BatesSouthern League461925James McOwenCalifornia League45200911Brandon WatsonInternational League432007Doc MarshallAmerican Association431935Orlando MorenoLonghorn League431947Howie BedellAmerican Association43196115Herbert ChapmanSoutheastern League421950Jack LeliveltInternational League42191217Jim OgelsbyPacific Coast League411933Randy CésarTexas League41201819Jason JamesFrontier League402009Frosty KennedyWest Texas–New Mexico League40195321Jose SiriMidwest League39201722Mitch HilligossSouth Atlantic League382007Hubert MasonEastern League381925Paul OwensPONY League38195125Maikel JovaNorth American League372012Johnny RizzoAmerican Association371937Joey CoraPacific Coast League371989Bobby TreviñoTexas League371969Harold GarciaFlorida State League37201030Bill SweeneyInternational League361935Joe AltobelliFlorida State League36195132Brent GatesCalifornia League351992Scott SeabolSouth Atlantic League351999Kevin HoltFrontier League351996–97Ildemaro VargasPacific Coast League35201836Greg TubbsSouthern League331987Mat GamelFlorida State League33200738Chris ValaikaPioneer League322006Robert FickMidwest League321997Lance DowningArizona League321997Jim RebouletEastern League32198642Kevin HooperPacific Coast League312002Casey BlakeFlorida State League311998Jeremy CarrTexas League311997Pedro GuerreroPacific Coast League31197946Desi WilsonGolden Baseball League302005Mike GallowayFrontier League302005Ricardo NanitaPioneer League302003Michael RobertsonFrontier League302001Doug BradyAmerican Association301995Jose TolentinoPacific Coast League301990
DiMaggio set the Minor League record as a member of the San Francisco Seals. Unrecognized by Minor League Baseball is the 69 game hitting streak by Joe Wilhoit in 1919. Wilhoit was in the independent Western League at the time and his record is considered the all-time Professional Baseball record.
See also Scoreless innings streak List of Major League Baseball individual streaks
References