One-Sheet Collections: 2000s Hits Leaders by Position

The One-Sheet Collections idea is a simple concept with infinite possibilities. Take a single nine-pocket sheet and a reasonable $100 budget, and build a nine-card collection with a unifying theme.

This week’s collection takes a look back at the hit leaders at each position during the 2000s, a follow-up to the 1990s version that we published a few weeks ago.

All nine players are represented by a Rookie Card, and while a few players only had one option, others had a wide variety to choose from to fill their slot in this collection.

1998 Bowman #428 Carlos Lee RC ($3)

Hits: 1,674

A consistent middle-of-the-order presence throughout his career, Lee had 11 seasons with at least 20 home runs. He had four 30-homer, 100-RBI campaigns, reaching those milestones with the Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers. His durability helped him rack up hits, and he played at least 150 games in 10 of 14 seasons.

Lee has six different Rookie Cards, the most valuable of which is a short-printed card in the 1998 Leaf Rookies and Stars set. The rest can be found for just a couple dollars each.

1993 SP #273 Johnny Damon FOIL RC ($8)

Hits: 1,745

Johnny Damon was an impactful table-setter with the Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in the prime of his career, and he finished with 2,769 hits over 18 seasons. He tallied a career-high 214 hits in his final season with the Royals in 2000 before he was traded to Oakland.

His only Rookie Card is in the 1993 SP set, and it is part of the “Premier Prospects” subset that also includes the most valuable Derek Jeter rookie.

2001 Upper Deck #271 Ichiro Suzuki  RC ($20)

Hits: 2,030

Ichiro Suzuki led the majors in hits during the 2000s and he didn’t even join the Seattle Mariners until the 2001 season. He began his MLB career with 10 straight 200-hit seasons, leading the American League in that category six times during the decade. He tallied the single-season record with 262 knocks during the 2004 campaign. Ichiro wrapped up his 19-year career with 3,089 hits.

He has 49 different Rookie Cards at a wide range of different price points. Ichiro’s 2001 Upper Deck rookie remains a reasonably priced option that fits perfectly into this collection.

1993 Topps #98 Derek Jeter RC ($20)

Hits: 1,940

Jeter had eight 200-hit seasons during his Hall of Famer career, six of which came during the 2000s when he trailed only Ichiro Suzuki in hits for the decade. He also added 116 hits in 93 playoff games during the same, helping to lead the Yankees to a pair of World Series titles. Jeter wrapped up his 20-year career with 3,465 hits.

His eight different Rookie Cards are all must-own for collectors. And while the 1993 SP and Stadium Club rookies carry a lofty price tag, the rest are relatively affordable.

1996 Bowman #266 Livan Hernandez RC ($2)

Hits: 157

With a .221 career average, 38 doubles and 10 home runs in 1,113 plate appearances, Livan Hernandez is one of the best hitting pitchers in MLB history. The workhorse starter had at least 14 hits in eight straight seasons during the 2000s, including a 2001 campaign when he batted .297 with 24 knocks for the San Francisco Giants.

He has seven Rookie Cards, all of which are priced at just a couple bucks. The exception is his 1996 Finest RC that is part of the “rare” portion of the checklist which were found in 1:24 packs.

1998 Fleer Tradition Update #U77 Placido Polanco RC ($1)

Hits: 1,581

One of the most underrated players of the 2000s, Placido Polanco began his pro career with the St. Louis Cardinals before he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in the Scott Rolen blockbuster at the 2002 trade deadline. He was one of only 12 players with at least 550 hits over the final three years of the decade.

His only two Rookie Cards are in the 1998 Fleer Tradition and 1998 Leaf Rookies and Stars sets, the latter of which is short-printed.

1994 Flair #340 Alex Rodriguez RC ($15)

Hits: 1,740

Alex Rodriguez spent the first four seasons of the 2000s playing shortstop with the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers. He shifted to third base after he was traded to the New York Yankees. He posted a 153 OPS+ and averaged 44 home runs and 124 RBI during the decade, while also hitting .304/.401/.587 with 174 hits per year.

He has six Rookie Cards, the most valuable being his 1994 SP foil rookie with a $60 high book value. His Collector’s Choice, Flair, Fleer Update, Sportflics and Upper Deck all run $20 or less.

1993 Score #490 Jason Kendall RC ($1)

Hits: 1,549

Jason Kendall ranks fourth all-time among catchers with 2,195 career hits, behind only Ivan Rodriguez (2,844), Ted Simmons (2,472) and Carlton Fisk (2,356). He was a .288 hitter over 15 seasons. The three-time All-Star was a rare table-setter at the catcher position during the prime of his career, stealing 189 bases and tallying 1,030 runs scored.

He has six different Rookie Cards in 1993 products after going No. 23 overall in the 1992 draft. They can all be found for a dollar or two.

1993 Topps Traded #19T Todd Helton USA RC ($30)

Hits: 1,756

Tasked with filling the big shoes left behind by the departure of Andres Galarraga at first base for the Colorado Rockies, Todd Helton finished runner-up in 1998 NL Rookie of the Year voting and quickly emerged as an offensive force. He hit .372/.463/.698 with 216 hits, 56 doubles, 42 home runs and 147 RBI during the 2000 season when he made a run at a .400 batting average, and was a .316 career hitter over 17 seasons.

His only Rookie Card is in the 1993 Topps Traded set from his time with the Collegiate National Team during his time at the University of Tennessee. He wasn’t drafted until two years later when he was taken No. 5 overall.

Total: $100