Top Ten Hits Leaders in New York Yankees History

Of the top ten the New York Yankees' all-time hits leaders, eight have more than 2,000 hits with the team and seven are in the Hall of Fame. They are headlined by the Sultan of Swat Babe Ruth, hitting streak icon Joe DiMaggio, and quotable catcher Yogi Berra.

10. Earle Combs: 1,866 hits

Former starting center fielder Earle Combs spent his entire Major League career with the Yankees from 1924 to 1935. As the team's table setter, Combs hit .325 and reached base at a .397 clip over the course of his career. The Hall of Famer had three 200-hit seasons including a career-high 231 hits which led the AL in 1927.

9. Bill Dickey: 1,969 hits

Hall of Fame catcher Bill Dickey ranks ninth among the New York Yankees' all-time hits leaders. One of the top offensive catchers of the 1930s, Dickey hit .320 with a .389 on-base percentage and .902 OPS in the decade. Over the course of his 17-year career, the eight-time World Series winner batted .313 with four 150-hit seasons.

8. Yogi Berra: 2,148 hits

A Hall of Famer, three-time MVP, and walking sound byte, Yogi Berra sits eighth on the list of New York Yankees' all-time hits leaders. Berra became New York's starting catcher in 1947 and remained on the job through the 1963 campaign. He cracked 140 hits eight times with a career batting average of .285. Berra hit 358 home runs with a career .482 slugging percentage as one of the greatest power-hitting catchers in baseball history.

7. Don Mattingly: 2,153 hits

Former MVP first baseman and current Dodgers' manager Don Mattingly spent his entire career in New York from 1982 to 1995. Mattingly enjoyed three 200-hit seasons including a Yankees' single season record 238 hits in 1986. He batted .307 for his career, once leading the AL in batting average with a .343 mark in 1984.

6. Joe DiMaggio: 2,214 hits

Hall of Fame outfielder Joe DiMaggio ranks sixth among the New York Yankees' all-time hits leaders. DiMaggio was a three-time AL MVP who had 190-plus hits in five of his 13 seasons. He maintained a career .325 batting average including a career-high and league-leading .381 average in 1939. Included in his 2,214 hits is the Major League record 56-game hitting streak which has stood for 69 years and counting.

5. Bernie Williams: 2,336 hits

One of the most recent Yankees to join the 2,000 hit club, five-time All-Star center fielder Bernie Williams spent his entire 16-year career with the team from 1991 to 2006. Williams batted .300 eight times and notched a pair of 200-hit seasons. He maintained an .858 OPS over 2,076 games in the majors.

4. Mickey Mantle: 2,415 hits

Hall of Fame center fielder Mickey Mantle owns three MVP Awards, is in the 500 home run club, and places fourth on the list of New York Yankees' all-time hits leaders. Mantle hit .298, slugged, .557, and registered eight 150-hit seasons in his 18-year career with the Yankees. The feared slugger saw fewer opportunities for hits than others having been walked 1,733 times, the seventh most free passes in MLB history.

3. Babe Ruth: 2,518 hits

Legendary Hall of Fame slugger and pitcher Babe Ruth still holds the third highest hit total in New York Yankees' history. Ruth hit .342 for his career and cracked 170-plus hits ten times in 22 years. He had three 200-hit seasons, four 50-home run seasons, 13 years of 100-plus walks. Ruth was the first member of the 700 home run club and his .690 career slugging percentage remains the highest in Major League history.

2. Lou Gehrig: 2,721 hits

Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig spent his entire 17-year Major League career in New York from 1923 to 1939. With a career .340 batting average, Gehrig racked up 200-plus hits in eight different seasons. At 1.080, he owns the third highest career OPS in MLB history. The lucky first baseman took home two AL MVPs and one batting title while playing for seven World Series Champions.

1. Derek Jeter: 2,926 hits*

The New York Yankees' all-time hits leader is active All-Star shortstop Derek Jeter. Since 1995, Jeter is batting .314 with an .837 OPS for the Yankees. He has seven 200-hit seasons including a career-high 219 in 1999. Jeter reached the top by stepping to the plate more than anyone else: in 2010, he became the first Yankee to accumulate 10,000 plate appearances with the team. Jeter enters the 2011 season just three steals shy of also becoming the Yankees' all-time stolen bases leader.

*Indicates the player is still active with the team

References:

New York Yankees Player Career Batting Register. Baseball-Reference.com