Where Does Derek Jeter’s Ascent Up the Hit Chart Take Him?

One of the early surprises of the season is the offensive output of Derek Jeter. Going into tonight’s matchup against Minnesota, Jeter is hitting a robust .366 with 2 HRs and 6 RBI. The slow bat that turned him into a below league average hitter the last couple of years has disappeared. I was ready to see him get his 3,000th hit and start the countdown of when his contract will expire. Not only has he returned to form, but he is better than ever. Since the 2011 All-Star Break he’s hit .332. That is vintage Jeter, and the version that helped the Yankees win a World Series in 2009. Now that questions of age and health have been put aside, how far up the hit ladder can Jeter climb? To date his total is 3,103. Some have speculated that Pete Rose and his 4,256 hits are not out of the question. Jeter has claimed in the past that he would like to play until he’s 43 -years old. If six seasons is all he has left, then it would take 192 hits a year to reach Rose’s magic number. Ironically, th...