Angels' Breakout Outfielder Nets 1000th Career Hit

A veteran outfielder is enjoying a late-career breakout with the Angels. Recently, that included the 1,000 hit of his career.

May 19, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Kevin Pillar (12) and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mickey Moniak (16) and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jo Adell (7) celebrate after the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports | Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Angels veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar achieved a significant milestone on Sunday: his 1,000th career hit. The Southern California native achieved this milestone against the 2023 defending World Series champions, the Texas Rangers. 

Pillar took to Twitter/X to express the depth of his emotions, sharing how profoundly special this moment was for him. 

Very proud of this moment. Thank you to all of great people have helped me to this milestone. Nothing makes me more happy than seeing how excited my kids are for me! https://t.co/AkaCUvg5D9

— Kevin Pillar (@KPILLAR4) May 19, 2024

#1000 hits in the MLB. Grateful, humbled, emotional and insanely proud of this accomplishment. pic.twitter.com/VcvSK30WbR

— Kevin Pillar (@KPILLAR4) May 19, 2024

The 35-year-old also shared how special it was for him to do it in Texas. 

"Baseball is poetic in a way that I'm here in Texas: my family lives here, my parents are here in attendance," Pillar told the Associated Press. "I told them I wasn't in the starting lineup. They still wanted to be here for me to get an opportunity, and to come up in that situation with them here, it means the world to me."

Pillar recorded the hit when he came up to pinch hit for No. 9 batter Kyren Paris. He singled to center that scored Jo Adell and Zach Neto to break the tie in the seventh inning. 

The hit was his 21st hit of the season and his 17th with the Halos. 

After the Angels lost Mike Trout to a meniscus injury, the journeyman signed a major league deal with the Halos in late April. 

The Angels are the ninth team of his career. Pillar has bounced around from the Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and the Chicago White Sox before landing in Orange County. 

Pillar is slashing .442/.467/.744 with a 1.211 OPS in 13 games and 43 at-bats with the Angels.