Famous and obscure MLB records that could fall in 2018

If there is any particularly guaranteed piece of history that will come to pass, it is that the bar for the all-time MLB strikeout record will be raised again. It has been reset in each of the last 10 years, and already we have experienced an all-time high for strikeout rate within a month.

Across the majors in March and April, batters struck out an astonishing 22.3 percent of the time, up from a season-long total of 21.7 percent in 2017. That rate garnered 40,104 strikeouts on the year, and this year we could see that fall by mid-September.

Single-game strikeouts by a pitcher

Appropriately, in an era where strikeout rates are higher than ever and pitchers are throwing harder more often than ever, the shared single-game 20-strikeout record from Max Scherzer, Roger Clemens and Kerry Wood is clearly in the crosshairs.

Already this season we have seen some significant strikeout performances. James Paxton rang up 16 K’s in seven innings, while Scherzer struck out 15 in 6.1 innings. Last week in his MLB debut, Brewers starter Freddy Peralta struck out 13 Rockies in just over five innings.

All things considered, it's not a matter of "if," but rather "when" this record will fall. If a manager is willing to go easy with the pitch count and a pitcher is riding the wave, the direction the game is trending should facilitate this outcome sooner than later.

The ultimate WAR-rior?

Of the many things that Mike Trout is known for, perhaps what he should get most credit for is making real-time sense of what WAR looks like. Trout has regularly topped the game in the figure, accounting for an astonishing 54 wins throughout his first seven full seasons — and 57.7 if you count this season.

He could still be on pace to somehow do more. Trout is again experiencing a career-best campaign thus far in 2018, counting among the AL leaders in his standard issue plethora of categories. It is a year that could see him not only account for his third season of topping the 10 WAR level, but also soar to new heights of metrics greatness.

Currently, Babe Ruth’s 14.1 WAR in 1923, when he hit .393 with 41 home runs and crossed the plate 151 times, is the all-time high. While Trout will likely fall short of those lofty batting figures, he is in range of topping Ruth’s single-season dominance on the WAR board. He is currently on pace to push for 15 wins on the year, which could see him account for 130 runs, 30 stolen bases, 30 doubles, over 40 homers, and lead in several metrics and percentage-base figures as well.

A 100-win record?

The 100-win mark is generally considered the measuring stick for a dominant season. While it has been hit by a pair of teams in one campaign in the past, and even three in the same year, it has never been accomplished by four different teams in the same season. On five different occasions, three teams have reached 100 wins together, the last time coming in 2003.

In a season where parity was expected to be an elusive feat, we could very well see four teams top the century mark this season. FanGraphs currently projects both the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox to reach 100 wins, with the Houston Astros only one game off the pace themselves.

As for who could become the record-breaking fourth, there are a handful of candidates that could make the leap. The Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals and Cleveland Indians all carry projections of winning between 93 and 95 games, respectively. Considering that none of that trio has played up to its potential yet, a surge could be coming that could launch any of them toward that century mark as well.

A similar mark for 100 game losers?

Karl Marx would be proud of the class system across the mid-May standings, as there is a clearly defined upper class followed by an equally distinguishable lower class.

Currently there are an incredible seven teams on course to take on 100 losses this season, a mark that would easily set a new standard for cellar dwellers. It has been since 2002 that even four teams lost 100 games together, so an additional three to that figure would be a surefire claim to a massive amount of segregation in baseball’s current top-heavy hierarchy.

Team home runs

The Yankees led the majors with 241 homers a year ago and took things to another level by adding NL MVP and home run king Giancarlo Stanton to the mix in December. It is an addition that immediately placed the single-season record of 264 home runs by the 1997 Seattle Mariners in jeopardy.

Thus far, the Yanks are averaging 1.45 homers per game, a rate that would put the club slightly below last year’s pace. More interesting is that the Red Sox, who finished last in the AL in home runs a year ago, are only one homer behind the Yankees at this juncture. It will be interesting to see if either of the rivals picks up the pace further and mounts a legitimate push for the record.

Most no-hitters in a season

Since 1901, there have been three seasons (1990, 2012, 2015) where seven no-hitters have occurred. Calling back to the increase in strikeouts and lessened emphasis on contact, it should be no surprise if the no-hitter continues to be a more frequented occurrence. There have already been three no-hitters in the first month and a half of the season courtesy of Sean Manaea, James Paxton, and Walker Buehler and the Dodgers' bullpen, along with a handful of extended no-hit efforts going beyond the fifth inning. With over four months remaining in the year, there is a good chance that a record eighth no-no could happen.

Another factor that could lead to an increased occurrence of no-hitters is the modern usage of hard-throwing relievers. That can lead to more outings in the variety of the Dodgers' no-hitter over the Padres. Four pitchers combined to complete the outing, something that could eliminate the need for worrisome pitch count levels to end no-hit bids. Many more no-hitters of the collective variety could be ahead in the game’s future.

The Ohtani special

Finally, a look at unique events that could take place this season would be incomplete without considering the plethora of records that Shohei Ohtani has a shot at. While he has already accomplished several duality-based feats that have not been seen before, Ohtani’s double life has the potential to pave a new path in the record books.

While it is somewhat difficult to classify Ohtani outright, he is virtually certain to destroy the previous record for home runs by a player who makes at least 25 appearances as a pitcher in a season. As a pitcher, Wes Ferrell connected for nine home runs in 1931 over 128 plate appearances. More recently, Brooks Kieschnick hit seven home runs in 2003 while working 53 uninspiring innings as a reliever for the Brewers.

Meanwhile, Ohtani already has five homers in 78 appearances at the dish. Currently via his designated hitter duties, he is on pace to become the first player since Babe Ruth in 1919 to hit 20 home runs while also working 100 innings on the mound. The kicker is Ruth went 9-5 for the Red Sox that season, striking out only 30 over 130 innings, as his transition to full-time positional player was already underway.

Ohtani already has 43 strikeouts in his first 32.2 innings, including two double-digit outings. All things considered, it has already become incredibly difficult to find a comparison to the startlingly talented rookie.