Watch: Miguel Cabrera becomes 33rd player to collect 3,000 hits

Watch Miguel Cabrera get his 3,000th career hit vs. the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.

Sitting on 2,999 career hits with a double-header on tap vs. the visiting Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers living legend Miguel Cabrera was bound to make MLB history on Saturday.

Three days removed from a three-hit performance vs. the New York Yankees, Tigers fans have been waiting for one of their own to join the elusive 3,000 hit club. By connecting on Antonio Senzatela’s offering in the bottom of the first inning in Game 1 of the double-header, Cabrera becomes the 33rd member of the 3,000 hit club. Comerica Park could not have been any louder.

Here is the hit that put Cabrera into the pantheon of the greatest hitters to ever play the game.

Miguel Cabrera joins an even more exclusive club with his 3,000th hit

By joining the 3,000 hit club, Cabrera becomes the third player in MLB history with over 3,000 hits, a career .300 batting average and 500 home runs. The only two other players to accomplish this feat are Hank Aaron (3,771 hits, .305 average, 755 home runs) and Willie Mays (3,293 hits, .301 average, 660 home runs). These are two of the five greatest players in the history of baseball.

With this 3,00th hit, Cabrera becomes the most recent member of the club since Albert Pujols’ base knock when he was with the Los Angeles Angeles nearly four years ago on May 4, 2018. Though baseball has had five new entrants in the 3,000 hit club in the last decade (Cabrera, Pujols, Adrian Beltre, Ichiro Suzuki, Alex Rodriguez), it will be a while before this club adds a new member.

Robinson Cano (2,630), Yadier Molina (2,116) and Joey Votto (2,035) are the three other active players with 2,000 or more hits besides Cabrera and Pujols. Votto is the youngest of the bunch at 38 years old. Guys with a decent shot to pull this down the line include Jose Altuve (1,783, 32 years old), Freddie Freeman (1,722, 32 years old), and possibly Elvis Andrus (1,875, 33 years old).

With this impressive accomplishment, Cabrera is officially a lock to be a first ballot hall of famer.