The 2025 season felt different. If you were watching the box scores every night, you probably noticed that the art of the "hit" took a strange, fascinating turn. It wasn’t just about the long ball—though there were plenty of those—it was about the guys who just flat-out refused to walk back to the dugout without touching first base.
When we talk about mlb hit leaders 2025, most fans immediately jump to the "Three True Outcome" gods. You know the ones. The guys who either hit it over the fence, walk, or strike out. But 2025 belonged to the grinders. It belonged to the shortstops who can spray the ball to all fields and the professional "bat-to-ball" wizards who make 100-mph fastballs look like BP lobs.
The King of the Jungle: Bobby Witt Jr.
Bobby Witt Jr. didn't just have a good year; he had a "you have to see it to believe it" year. He finished the 2025 regular season with 184 hits. That’s the gold standard. Honestly, watching him in Kansas City, you’ve gotta appreciate how he evolved from a "swing for the fences" kid into a pure hitting machine.
He didn't lead by dinking and dunking, either. He racked up 47 doubles, which topped the league. He wasn't just getting on base; he was standing on second base before the outfielder even picked up the ball.
There's a nuance here people miss. Witt’s 184 hits weren't a fluke of a high-BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) season. He cut his strikeout rate slightly while maintaining a relentless aggression. He led the American League in multi-hit games, which basically means if you saw the Royals play, you probably saw Bobby get two hits. Every single night.
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The Battle for the Silver Medal
Right behind Witt, we had a literal tie that tells you everything you need to know about the current state of hitting. Luis Arraez and Bo Bichette both finished with 181 hits.
Think about that. You have Arraez, who is basically a 1980s contact hitter trapped in a modern athlete’s body, and Bichette, who swings so hard his helmet falls off twice a week. Two completely different styles, same result.
- Luis Arraez (181 hits): He’s the guy every pitcher hates. He doesn’t care about launch angle. He just wants to ruin your ERA. In 2025, he proved that his trade to San Diego wasn't just a change of scenery—it was a refinement. He finished with a .292 average, which is actually "low" for him, but his volume remained elite.
- Bo Bichette (181 hits): Toronto’s spark plug. Bichette remains one of the most aggressive hitters in the zone. If it’s near the plate, he’s hacking. His 181 hits were a huge reason the Blue Jays stayed relevant in a terrifyingly deep AL East.
The Judge and the Speedster
Then you have the usual suspects. Aaron Judge put up 179 hits. That’s a massive number for a guy who also walks 130 times a year. Usually, when you walk that much, you don't have enough "official" at-bats to lead the league in hits. Judge defied that logic by hitting .331—the best average in the majors.
Tied with Judge at 179 was Trea Turner. After a shaky start to his Phillies tenure a couple of years back, Turner has settled into a groove of pure consistency. His hits are loud, they’re often triples (though he "only" had a handful this year), and they're almost always followed by a stolen base.
The Rest of the Elite Top 10
If we're looking at the full list of mlb hit leaders 2025, the depth is wild:
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- Bobby Witt Jr. (KC): 184
- Luis Arraez (SD): 181
- Bo Bichette (TOR): 181
- Aaron Judge (NYY): 179
- Trea Turner (PHI): 179
- Nico Hoerner (CHC): 178
- Yandy Díaz (TB): 175
- Julio Rodríguez (SEA): 174
- Geraldo Perdomo (ARI): 173
- Shohei Ohtani (LAD): 172
Ohtani finishing 10th with 172 hits is almost an afterthought because he hit 55 home runs. Think about that for a second. More than 30% of his hits didn't even stay in the park. It’s a joke. He’s playing a different game.
Why 200 Hits is Becoming a Ghost
You might notice something. Nobody hit 200.
In the early 2000s, 200 hits was the benchmark for a great season. Ichiro was doing it in his sleep. In 2025, the pitching is just too good. When every reliever coming out of the "pen" is throwing 101 mph with a "splinker" that moves three feet, stringing together hits becomes a monumental task.
The strategy has shifted. Teams are okay with a guy getting 150 hits if 40 of them are homers. But for the purists, watching Nico Hoerner (178 hits) or Yandy Díaz (175 hits) poke balls through the 3.5-hole is a reminder that the "small ball" soul of the game still has a heartbeat.
The Surprises: Perdomo and Hoerner
Geraldo Perdomo in the top 10? Yeah, that’s real. He’s become the quintessential "tough out" in Arizona. He doesn't have the "wow" factor of a Witt or an Ohtani, but he occupies the strike zone like a squatter who refuses to leave.
And Nico Hoerner in Chicago is just a machine. He doesn't strike out. He puts the ball in play. In a world of "launch angle or bust," Hoerner is the guy who proves that if you just hit the ball hard on the ground or on a line, good things happen. He finished with 178 hits, just six off the lead.
What This Means for 2026
If you’re looking for actionable insights for your fantasy draft or just trying to sound smart at the bar, look at the "at-bats" versus "hits" ratio.
Bobby Witt Jr. had 623 at-bats to get his 184 hits.
Aaron Judge only had 540 at-bats to get his 179.
If Judge had as many opportunities as Witt, he might have challenged for 210 hits. But he doesn't get those opportunities because pitchers are terrified of him.
When you're tracking mlb hit leaders 2025, remember that the hit king isn't always the best "hitter"—he’s often the best "competitor" who stays healthy enough to take 700 plate appearances.
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What to Watch Next:
- Keep an eye on Jacob Wilson from the Athletics. He hit .311 in limited action and could easily lead the league in hits by 2027.
- Watch the "K-Rate" (Strikeout rate) of these leaders. The guys who moved into the top 10 this year all shared one trait: they reduced their whiffs on pitches inside the zone.
- Check the "Multi-hit game" stats. Witt led with 61, but watch for Julio Rodríguez to surge here if he can stay healthy for 160 games.
The 2025 season proved that the hit is still king. Home runs get the headlines, but the guys who rack up 180+ hits are the ones who actually move the needle for their teams over a 162-game grind.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the splits: Look at how many of these hits came against left-handed versus right-handed pitching to see who is truly "pitch-proof."
- Verify the BABIP: See if any of these leaders had an unsustainably high Batting Average on Balls In Play (anything over .380 is usually luck) before betting on them for 2026.
- Monitor Spring Training: Watch for line-drive percentages for the "near-miss" guys like Gunnar Henderson (158 hits) to see if they're poised for a 180+ hit jump next year.