Back in 2004, we saw one of the most impressive offensive seasons in baseball history.
No, there actually weren’t many home runs involved: there were hits, though.
A lot of hits.
Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki set a modern MLB record for most hits in a single season with 262.
He hit .372 that year.
Fast forward 20 years and as the Mariners prepare to play the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field, another player is showing off insane bat-to-ball skills.
No, it’s not a Mariner: it’s Guardians leadoff hitter Steven Kwan.
After missing 23 games with a hamstring strain, Kwan probably won’t have a shot at Ichiro’s 262 hits.
He probably wouldn’t have had a shot even without the injury.
The per-game pace, however, is very much comparable and Guardians insider Zack Meisel illustrates why.
“When Ichiro set the MLB record for hits in a season in 2004, he averaged 1.6273 hits per game. Steven Kwan this year: 1.6279 hits per game. More Kwan stats that seem impossible as he flirts with .400,” he tweeted.
When Ichiro set the MLB record for hits in a season in 2004, he averaged 1.6273 hits per game.
Steven Kwan this year: 1.6279 hits per game.
More Kwan stats that seem impossible as he flirts with .400:https://t.co/cqdHB0rLSN
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) June 17, 2024
Nobody is saying that Kwan will finish the year with 262 or even 200 hits: that’s no guarantee.
Additionally, the odds are against him closing out the season with a per-game hit pace higher than 2024 Ichiro.
But he is there at the moment, and that alone is extremely impressive.
It’s not like he hasn’t played a whole lot: he has accumulated 196 plate appearances.
His .398 batting average is remarkable, and he would comfortably lead the league if he qualified.
All things considered, Kwan has had a historic season even if it was temporarily cut short by injury.
The fact he currently has more hits per game than a historic contact hitter is magnificent and shouldn’t be taken for granted.
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