MLB Active Hits Leaders: Top 10 players in the category currently playing in 2023

A brief look at the MLB's active hits leaders list and fans will see some of the icons of the modern generation. The MLB is in a constant state of movement, with former stars retiring every season and up-and-coming players writing their own stories.

Last season the baseball universe said goodbye to future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols, who at the time was the MLB's active hits leader at the time with 3,384 hits. Now, there is only one active player with over 3,000 hits, Miguel Cabrera, who is set to retire at the end of the season.

"On Sunday, Andrew McCutchen recorded his 2,000th career hit, becoming the 5th active player to have 2,000 career hits under their belt. He joins Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Nelson Cruz, and Elvis Andrus." - @ESPNStatsInfo

There are only four players with over 2,000 career hits, with Pittsburgh Pirates legend Andrew McCutchen passing that threshold on Sunday. Only Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Nelson Cruz, Elvis Andrus, and Andrew McCutchen have reached the 2,000-hit milestone.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is only eight hits from crossing that elite marker, at the time of writing this article Freeman sits at 1,992 career hits.

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Here's a look at the MLB's active hits leaders

While Miguel Cabrera has already announced his retirement at the end of the 2023 MLB season, it remains to be seen if Joey Votto and Nelson Cruz will continue their careers in 2024. However, if they decide to hang them up, the top of the list could change drastically next year.

Player	Age	Years in MLB	Hits
Miguel Cabrera	40	21	3,111
Joey Votto	39	16	2,093
Nelson Cruz	42	19	2,043
Elvis Andrus	34	15	2,027
Andrew McCutchen	36	15	2,000
Freddie Freeman	33	14	1,992
Jose Altuve	33	13	1,951
Evan Longoria	37	13	1,906
Paul Goldschmidt	35	13	1,821
Eric Hosmer	33	13	1,753

The 3,000-hit milestone is one of the more difficult accomplishments in baseball. When Miguel Cabrera reached the hallowed career mark, he became only the 33rd person in history to do so. While it is not impossible that we will see another player reach this level, it may not be for some time.

"997 pitchers faced. 3000 hits. Miguel Cabrera is the 33 player in #MLB history to have 3000 hits for their career." - @DuffTyler

Age, injury, and the changes in the game may prevent fans from seeing a 3,000 hitter for another decade, however, the likes of Freddie Freeman, Jose Altuve, Manny Machado, and Mike Trout have legitimate shots at reaching that mark.

Of the top 50 players on the MLB's active hits leaders list, only New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is under 30 years old, which may indicate that there may not be a 3000-hit player among the current list of active hits leaders.