These are the major league ballplayers that were there — really there. So close in fact that they were hit by the pitch, either intentionally or unintentionally by the opposing team's pitcher(s).
Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-thousand all-time career leaders in Major League hit by pitch. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"A durable power hitter, Don Baylor will probably be most noted as the major league record holder for being hit by a pitch. Unafraid to crowd the plate, he was hit a major league-high 28 times in 1987, setting the career record (244) when plunked by Rick Rhoden on June 28." - Author Morris Eckhouse on BaseballLibrary.com
Between 1901 and 2005 there have been four National League games where six combined hit by pitch instances took place between the two teams. Oddly enough, three of those involved the Florida Marlins & three of those involved the Pittsburgh Pirates and each is listed below:
Date / Box | Team | HBP | Team | HBP |
06-29-1994 | Montreal | 4 | Florida | 2 |
05-16-1995 | Florida | 4 | Pittsburgh | 2 |
05-22-1999 | Pittsburgh | 4 | Florida | 2 |
09-16-2000 | Pittsburgh | 4 | Houston | 2 |
If hit by pitch records interest you, please click the link and visit our page dedicated to players who were hit by pitches more often and read about most in a season, most by a rookie in a season, most by a right-handed hitter, left-handed hitter, switch-hitter and many other unique and hard to find variations.
Did you know that when Brady Anderson of the Baltimore Orioles got hit by Mike Morgan during the first inning of the game played on May 23, 1999 TWICE, he became the first and only American League player hit by a pitch twice in the same inning?