What is a Hit in Baseball?

A hit in baseball is when a batter hits the ball into fair territory. Then the batter must safely reach base without the opposing team having committed an error or recording an out on a runner that was on base when the batter hit the ball. Hits in baseball are divided into how many bases the batter reaches cleanly after hitting the ball, with hits either being singles, doubles, triples, or home runs. The all-time hit leader in Major League Baseball is Pete Rose, who collected 4,256 hits over 24 seasons.

There are different kinds of singles or hits on which the batter safely reaches first base. One such single is called an infield hit. This occurs when a batter hits the ball that is fielded cleanly by an infielder, who then fails to throw the runner out at first base. Infield hits are most often recorded by fast runners that are able to hit the ball where a fielder has to range for it and then beat the throw. A bunt hit is when a batter squares around with the bat and lightly hits the ball so that it travels a short distance; the batter must beat any throw from a fielder to first in order to get a hit. A drag bunt is one which the batter begins to run just as contact is made with the bat. Batters try to place the ball between fielders and then beat out the throw. A swinging bunt is a baseball term for a batter that swings hard but makes very little contact. However the ball will go a few feet and the fielders will be unable to throw the batter out. Pete Rose is the all-time leader in the category of singles, with 3,215 in his career.

A double is a hit which enables the batter to safely reach second base without the defensive team making an error or throwing out another runner during the play. Doubles are normally struck between outfielders, off the outfield fences, or down the lines, allowing the batter to make it to second before the ball can be thrown in and the runner tagged out. A stand-up double is one in which the batter hits the ball and goes into second base standing up, with no play being made. A ground-rule double is a ball that hits in fair play and either bounces into the stands, goes somewhere on the field where it is unplayable, or is somehow touched by a fan. The career leader in doubles for all of Major League Baseball is Tris Speaker, who accumulated 792 from 1907 through 1928.

The batter safely makes it all the way to third on a triple. For a triple to be recorded, the fielders must have committed no error on the hit. And if a throw is made to home plate to get any runner that was on base the official scorer must rule that the batter would have made it to third anyways. The hitters that get the most triples traditionally have been very fast runners that are able to speed around the bases after hitting the baseball between outfielders or right down the lines and into the outfield corners. The career leader in MLB for triples is Sam Crawford, who hit 309 while with the DetroitTigers from 1899 until 1917.

A batter is credited with a home run when he or she makes it all the way around the bases on a hit without the ball being misplayed by the defense. The vast majority of home runs in MLB are hit over the outfield fences and into the stands. An inside-the-park home run stays in the field of play, isn't misplayed, and the batter flies around the bases and makes it home. Many home runs of this type occur when fielders collide chasing a ball or when a ball hits the outfield fence and takes a bounce away from the outfielders. Barry Bonds hit 762 home runs in his 22 years with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants to own the MLB record.

Often it is up to the official scorer to decide if a batted ball is an error or a base hit. For example, if a batter hits a ball that a fielder makes a great stop on but then cannot make a throw after dropping the ball the official scorer must rule if the batter would have been safe even if the fielder was able to make a throw. Joe DiMaggio of the New York Yankees had a hit in 56 games during the 1941 season, easily the MLB record for a hitting streak. Ichiro Suzuki's 262 hits in 2004 are the most by a player in a single season.