Who are the last 5 Blue Jays to have 200 hits in a single season?

Bo Bichette is having another excellent season, which could see him become the AL hits leader for a third consecutive year. Yes, he only has a three-hit lead at the time of writing (150), but there has to be a certain degree of confidence in a player who knows what it takes to win the award.

Making this even more impressive, is that Bichette is the current AL hits leader despite recently missing 16 games with right knee tendinitis. Which brings us to one of those 'what if' scenarios so popular in the world of professional sports.

In theory, the two-time All-Star has a shot at reaching 200 hits for the first time in his five-year Major League career. At his current rate, his 1.35 hits per game projects to 196 on the season. (He also missed a 17th game through a rest day back in July versus the Dodgers.)

While Bichette can still achieve the magic 200 mark, it will be a shame if he just misses out due to his injury. (Which we appreciate is just an unavoidable part of Major League Baseball.) Further, his hits per game over the course of a 162-game season total 219, which would have been a new Blue Jays record.

This leads to the question of who has achieved the 200-hit season in club history? Here's a countdown of the five Blue Jays players to reach the impressive mark:

NB - All Statistics up to and including August 24.

5) John Olerud - 200

John Olerud enjoyed an excellent career which spanned 17 years in the Majors. He has a resume which includes two All-Star selections, three Gold Glove Awards and -- most importantly -- two World Series championships.

Success was just expected for a player who at one point was the number three prospect in all of baseball. Interestingly though, the individual peak in Olerud's playing career came relatively early on, at the age of 24.

It took place during the 1993 season, when the Seattle native played a significant role in the Blue Jays winning their second consecutive World Series. They were also the first team to repeat since the 1977-78 Yankees.

Olerud got off to a barely believable start, which saw him finish the first month of the 1993 season with an insane .450 batting average. With 36 hits, he had set himself up nicely for what would become a special year.

Ted Williams had been the last AL/NL player to hit .400, way back in 1941 (.406). And yet there was genuine belief for more than half the season that Olerud could do just this.

In the end, the left-handed bat fell below .400 on August 3 and never reached it again. Regardless, he was still blazing a trail through opposing teams with his almost magical hitting.

With the 1993 regular season coming towards its conclusion, 200 hits was still within sight. Olerud managed to finally reach the mark with two hits versus the Orioles, in the second-to-last game.

It helped put a bow on what was a remarkable regular season for the first baseman. He was named to his first All-Star game, had the second-best ever WAR for a Blue Jays position player at 7.8 and finished with a whole host of single-season career highs.

More than this though, Olerud dominated the League, as he came third in AL voting behind Frank Thomas and a teammate we'll get to shortly. He finished first in the AL in batting average, OPS and OPS+, while leading the Majors as a whole in doubles and OBP.

4) Shannon Stewart - 202

You can make the argument that Shannon Stewart is not always appreciated for what he achieved during his time in Toronto. He was never named an All-Star in 10 seasons with the Blue Jays and the one time he led the league in anything, it was being caught stealing 14 times in 1999.

However, this cannot take away from the reality Stewart is one of the most accomplished bats in Blue Jays history. He is ranked fifth all-time in batting average, sixth in doubles, seventh in hits, triples and runs scored, as well as tied-ninth in on-base percentage. (You get the idea.)

Stewart arrived in Southern Ontario with high expectations, after being selected 19th overall in the 1992 draft. He didn't make his Major League debut until 1995, meaning he missed out on the chance at World Series glory.

The Cincinnati, Ohio native had his breakout year in 1998, during his first season as a regular starter. He hit 12 home runs, 55 RBI and a career-high 67 walks, on the way to a .279/.377/.417 slash line. (He also had a career-high 51 stolen bases.)

Stewart continued to grow in confidence at the plate, hitting .300 in each of the next two years. In 2000 specifically, he set career-highs for batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and OPS.

This all set the stage for the 2001 campaign, as the right-handed bat would begin his quest for 200 hits. The foundation was set early, helped by hitting at a near .400 pace during April and finishing with a 2001 single-month high of 39 hits.

Stewart looked well on course to reach 200 hits for the majority of the 2001 campaign. It was only towards the end when any doubt crept in, after recording 21 hits in September.

The left fielder entered October sitting on 193 hits, and with six games remaining. He kept Blue Jays fans on the edge of their seats with anticipation, before recording his 200th hit in the second-to-last game of the season.

Stewart would go on to be traded to Minnesota two seasons later, but was able to finish his Major League career with the Blue Jays in 2008. Whether appreciated or not, it cannot be denied he is one of a small group of Blue Jays to reach 200 hits in a season.

3) Paul Molitor - 211

Paul Molitor only played three season in Toronto, but Blue Jays fans still have a special place in their hearts for the man. Certainly he achieved a lot during his relatively short tenure in Southern Ontario.

Molitor's list of accomplishments included two All-Star selections and a Silver Slugger Award. Most importantly of course, was helping the Blue Jays win a second straight World Series.

Underlying the Hall of Famer's importance to the team, he was named MVP of the 1993 World Series. He hit two home runs and eight RBI during the six games versus the Phillies, on his way to a ridiculous .500/.571/1.000 slash line.

This topped off what was a remarkable season for Molitor and the Blue Jays. He was part of a lineup which struck fear into the opposition, featuring the likes of Olerud, Roberto Alomar and Joe Cater.

In respect of Molitor and Olerud, each brought out the best in the other during the 1993 season. As the year progressed, they were both in with a shot at 200 hits and their respective success pushed them both to achieve more.

For Molitor specifically, he started off the season slowly with 'only' 26 hits during April. However, he countered this with a 1993 single-month high of 43 in May, and he was off and running.

Helping the four-time Silver Slugger on his quest, was that he had already reached 200 hits twice in his magnificant 21-year Major League career. He would also go on to again achieve the feat in 1996 with a career-high 225 hits for the Twins.

Returning to 1993 though, Molitor reached the 200 plateau on September 22 in style, with three hits versus the Red Sox. He would go on to lead the Majors with 211 hits, and finish second in AL MVP voting behind Thomas.

1) Vernon Wells - 215

Finally we come to Vernon Wells, who as well as holding the number one spot for most hits in a season, is the most recent to do it. Although we appreciate 20 years ago isn't that recent.

Wells sometimes gets a bad rap, due to the seven-year, $126 million USD contract extension he signed following the 2006 season. At the time it was the richest deal in Blue Jays history, and has since gone on to arguably become one of their worst due to how it played out.

However, if you are able to put the contract to one side, we are looking at a player who was one of the most productive in team history. In this respect, the three-time All-Star is near the top in a number of important categories.

More specifically, Wells is second in hits, RBI, doubles and total bases, third in runs and fourth in home runs. He's also fifth all-time among Blue Jays position players with a 28.7 WAR and fourth with a 30.3 offensive WAR.

Turning to individual campaigns, 2003 was the peak for the three-time Gold Glove Award winner. He set single-season career-highs for home runs, RBI, doubles, runs, total bases, slash line, OPS and OPS+.

It was a phenomenal season for Wells, who earned his first All-Star selection and one career Silver Slugger Award, while also receiving some AL MVP consideration. Among all this however, his number of hits might well have been the crowning achievement.

As was the case with a number of other players on this list, the centre fielder didn't begin the season as if he was going to achieve something extra special. Not that 28 hits during April (plus one in March) was anything shabby!

Wells caught fire the following two months, with 39 and 41 hits in May and June respectively. A combined 71 hits in the next couple of months, put him at 180 hits with still one month to go in the season.

The 1997 fifth overall draft pick reached the 200-mark on September 16, in Detroit. With that out of the way and still 12 games remaining, he could now take aim at Fernández's all-time record.

Wells was able to equal Fernández's 213 hits with three games to go, surpassing it a day later to set the new standard of 215. Whether anyone ever beats this remains to be seen, although it could be worth putting some money on Bichette, especially if he sticks around for the long-term.