Top 25 MLB batting seasons of all time

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May 3, 2017; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Miami Marlins right fielder Ichiro Suzuki (51) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

10. Ichiro Suzuki, 2004

The Numbers: .372/.414/.455, MLB record 262 hits

Most of this list is composed of amazing feats of power, home runs, RBIs, the like. Let’s take a break from all that to give due praise to the greatest contact hitter in the history of baseball anywhere on the planet, Ichiro Suzuki. The 2004 season was the magnum opus for a wizard with the bat who can place the ball anywhere he wants on the field.

Ichiro broke George Sisler’s all-time record for hits in a single season by five, bettering the old mark of 257. He had five five-hit games, six four-hit games, 24 three-hit games, and 80 multi-hit games overall. Ichiro went hitless in only 26 games the entire season. He batted .399 when putting the ball in play, and picked up 57 infield hits.

Ichiro will go down as one of the most unique hitters of the modern era, and if he was never able to bat .400 for a full season, it may never happen again. It’s always been said that he could have hit 30 home runs a year if he so desired, and there’s no reason not to believe that having seen some of his batting practice displays. Perhaps because of the language barrier, Ichiro is shrouded in mystery, which only helps build his legend.

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