Former major league infielder Ron Hunt, a National League All-Star who set the modern-era single-season record for hit-by-pitches, has died. He was 85.
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Hunt played 12 seasons in the majors from 1963 to 1974, spending time with the Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Expos and Cardinals.
He began his career with the Mets, finishing second to Pete Rose in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 1963. The following season, Hunt became the first Mets player selected to start an All-Star Game.
Hunt is perhaps best remembered for his willingness to crowd the plate, a style that helped him lead the National League in hit-by-pitches seven straight seasons from 1968 through 1974.'
We are saddened to share the news of the passing of Ron Hunt.
Hunt, a Met from 1963 through 1966, was the first player to start an All-Star game in franchise history. We send our condolences to his friends and family. pic.twitter.com/moYs9jC32b
— New York Mets (@Mets) July 17, 2026
In 1971 with the Montreal Expos, Hunt was hit by a pitch 50 times, a modern-era record for a single season that still stands. He finished his career with 243 hit-by-pitches, which at the time was the major league record.
"I didn't even know the record existed," Hunt said years later. "It was just the way I could bother the pitcher, get on base, do my job, and it added a little offense."
Hunt was inducted into the Montreal Expos Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the franchise.
No cause of death was immediately announced.
Hunt's combination of toughness, durability and unconventional approach at the plate made him one of baseball's most recognizable players of his era, and his modern-era hit-by-pitch record remains unmatched more than five decades later.
