It's much easier to average 200 hits a season than it is to get 200 hits per year over the course of a number of seasons. That's where the average argument falls down, IMO. For instance, a player enters the league and in his first five seasons, has 180, 185, 190, 185, 195 hits. Pretty good. Then, in his sixth and seventh seasons, he breaks out for 240 and 225 hits. He's now averaging 200 hits a season but has only done it two out of seven times.