Major league batting champions: 1900-2003.

SINCE 1900, THERE HAVE BEEN 207 BATTING CHAMPIONSHIPS WON BY 113 DIFFERENT players--15 of whom were still active at the start of the 2004 campaign. Among those top batsmen, Ty Cobb won more hitting titles than any other player in major league history with 12, followed by Honus Wagner (8), Tony Gwynn (8), Rogers Hornsby (7), Stan Musial (7), Red Carew (7), Ted Williams (6) and Wade Boggs (5).

Right fielders have claimed the league hitting crown 46 times, more than any other position player while members of the Boston Red Sox have captured 25 American League titles and the Pittsburgh Pirates topped National League clubs. with 24.

There have been 44 players who won a battling title and later went on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and of the 113 players who have paced their league in batting average, 56 hit from the left side, 49 were right-handed and eight were switch-hitters.

Prior to 1920, there was no rule, but it was the practice that a batter had to play in at least 60 percent of the scheduled number of games to qualify for a batting title. From 1920 to 1944, a player had to appear in at least 100 games to qualify as the league leader in batting average. From 1945 through 1956, a player must have had at least 400 at-bats to qualify for the batting title. Since 1957, a player must have a total of at least 3.1 plate appearances for every scheduled game to qualify as the league leader in batting average. In 1967, it was added that if there is any player with fewer than the required number of plate appearances whose average would be the highest if he were charged with this required number of plate appearances, then the player shall be recognized as the batting champion.

Complete statistics for major league batting champions from 1900 through 2003 are listed on pages 84-87.

 
American League Batting Champions--1901-2003 
 
Year  Player, Team               Pos.     G    AB    R    H   2B   3B 
 
2003  Bill Mueller, Bos.          3b    146   524   85  171   45    5 
2002  Manny Ramirez, Bos.         lf    120   436   84  152   31    0 
2001  Ichiro Suzuki, Sea.         rf    157   692  127  242   34    8 
2000  Nomar Garciaparra, Bos.     ss    140   529  104  197   51    3 
 
1999  Nomar Garciaparra, Bos.     ss    135   532  103  190   42    4 
1998  Bernie William, N.Y.        cf    128   499  101  169   30    5 
1997  Frank Thomas, Chi.          1b    146   530  110  184   35    0 
1996  Alex Rodriguez, Sea.        ss    146   601  141  215   54    1 
1995  Edgar Martinez, Sea.        dh    145   511  121  182   52    0 
1994  Paul O'Neill, N.Y.          rf    103   368   68  132   25    1 
1993  John Olerud, Tor.           1b    158   551  109  200   54    2 
1992  Edgar Martinez, Sea.        3b    135   528  100  181   46    3 
1991  Julio Franco, Tex.          2b    146   589  108  201   27    3 
1990  George Brett, K.C.          1b    142   544   82  179   45    7 
 
1989  Kirby Puckett, Min.         cf    159   635   75  215   45    4 
1988  Wade Boggs, Bos.            3b    155   584  128  214   45    6 
1987  Wade Boggs, Bos.            3b    147   551  108  200   40    6 
1986  Wade Boggs, Bos.            3b    149   580  107  207   47    2 
1985  Wade Boggs, Bos.            3b    161   653  107  240   42    3 
1984  Don Mattingly, N.Y.         1b    153   603   91  207   44    2 
1983  Wade Boggs, Bos.            3b    153   582  100  210   44    7 
1982  Willie Wilson, K.C.         cf    136   585   87  194   19   15 
1981  Carney Lansford, Bos.       3b    102   399   61  134   23    3 
1980  George Brett, K.C.          3b    117   449   87  175   33    9 
 
1979  Fred Lynn, Bos.             cf    147   531  116  177   42    1 
1978  Rod Carew, Min.             1b    152   564   85  188   26   10 
1977  Rod Carew, Min.             1b    155   616  128  239   38   16 
1976  George Brett, K.C.          3b    159   645   94  215   34   14 
1975  Rod Carew, Min.             2b    143   535   89  192   24    4 
1974  Rod Carew, Min.             2b    153   599   86  218   30    5 
1973  Rod Carew, Min.             2b    149   580   98  203   30   11 
1972  Rod Carew, Min.             2b    142   535   61  170   21    6 
1971  Tony Oliva, Min.            rf    126   487   73  164   30    3 
1970  Alex Johnson, Cal.          lf    156   614   85  202   26    6 
 
1969  Rod Carew, Min.             2b    123   458   79  152   30    4 
1968  Carl Yastrzemski, Bos.      lf    157   539   90  162   32    2 
1967  Carl Yastrzemski, Bos.      lf    161   579  112  189   31    4 
1966  Frank Robinson, Bal.        rf    155   576  122  182   34    2 
1965  Tony Oliva, Min.            rf    149   576  107  185   40    5 
1964  Tony Oliva, Min.            rf    161   672  109  217   43    9 
1963  Carl Yastrzemski, Bos.      lf    151   570   91  183   40    3 
1962  Pete Runnels, Bos.          1b    152   562   80  183   33    5 
1961  Norm Cash, Det.             1b    159   535  119  193   22    8 
1960  Pete Runnels Bos.           1b    143   528   80  169   29    2 
 
1959  Harvey Kuenn, Det.          rf    139   561   99  198   42    7 
1958  Ted Williams, Bos.          lf    129   411   81  135   23    2 
1957  Ted Williams, Bos.          lf    132   420   96  163   28    1 
1956  Mickey Mantle, N.Y.         cf    150   533  132  188   22    5 
1955  Al Kaline, Det.             rf    152   588  121  200   24    8 
1954  Bobby Avila, Cle.           2b    143   555  112  189   27    2 
1953  Mickey Vernon, Wash.        1b    152   608  101  205   43   11 
1952  Ferris Fain, Phi.           1b    145   538   82  176   43    3 
1951  Ferris Fain, Phi.           1b    117   425   63  146   30    3 
1950  Billy Goodman, Bos.         lf    110   424   91  150   25    3 
 
1949  George Kell, Det.           3b    134   522   97  179   38    9 
1948  Ted Williams, Bos.          lf    137   509  124  188   44    3 
1947  Ted Williams, Bos.          lf    156   528  125  181   40    9 
1946  Mickey Vernon, Wash.        1b    148   587   88  207   51    8 
1945  Stuffy Stirnweiss, N.Y.     2b    152   632  107  195   32   22 
1944  Lou Boudreau, Cle.          ss    150   584   91  191   45    5 
1943  Luke Appling, Chi.          ss    155   585   63  192   33    2 
1942  Ted Williams, Bos.          lf    150   522  141  186   34    5 
1941  Ted Williams, Bos.          lf    143   456  135  185   33    3 
1940  Joe Dimaggio, N.Y.          cf    132   508   93  179   28    9 
 
1939  Joe Dimaggio, N.Y.          cf    120   462  108  176   32    6 
1938  Jimmie Foxx, Bos.           1b    149   565  139  197   33    9 
1937  Charlie Gehringer, Det.     2b    144   564  133  209   40    1 
1936  Luke Appling, Chi.          ss    138   526  111  204   31    7 
1935  Buddy Myer, Wash.           2b    151   616  115  215   36   11 
1934  Lou Gehrig, N.Y.            1b    154   579  128  210   40    6 
1933  Jimmie Foxx, Phi.           1b    149   573  125  204   37    9 
1932  Dale Alexander, Det./Bos.   1b    124   392   58  144   27    3 
1931  Al Simmons, Phi.            lf    128   513  105  200   37   13 
1930  Al Simmons, Phi.            lf    138   554  152  211   41   16 
 
1929  Lew Fonseca, Cle.     ...