Milestones that might be reached during the 2024 MLB season

For the majority of the past decade, Angels outfielder Mike Trout has been the best player in baseball. It's safe to say his teammate (former teammate?) Shohei Ohtani has stripped him of that title now, but let's not diminish just how dynamic Trout continues to be. The right-handed slugger enters 2024 sitting on 368 home runs, and considering he's already hit more than 32 in a single season six times, he should become the 59th player to reach the nice round number of 400 — provided he stays healthy. The Vineland, NJ native also has a few other milestone numbers well with his reach. He needs 60 RBI to reach 1,000 in his career, and he's also just 36 walks shy of 1,000 career free passes. 

Speaking of dominant power hitters in the American League, let's talk about Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. The right-handed slugger has blasted 257 home runs since debuting late in the 2016 season, leaving him just 43 long balls shy of the nice round number of 300. Judge crushed 62 homers in 2022 and 37 in only 106 games in 2023, so assuming he stays healthy you'd have to believe this mark is well within his range. 

Mookie Betts has been one of the best players in Major League Baseball for over a decade now. He's won an MVP award, a batting title, and most importantly, has been a member of two World Series winners. Heading into 2024, the Dodgers superstar outfielder is closing in on the same milestone as the aforementioned Aaron Judge. Betts is sitting on 252 home runs, and while he's never hit close to the 48 bombs in a single season he needs to reach 300, maybe it's not preposterous to think he can. The two biggest home run totals of Betts' career have come in the past two seasons, and if he can continue to build on that in '24 perhaps he can get close. 

Veteran third baseman Evan Longoria has been a highly productive major leaguer for 16 years, and while he's currently a free agent, he's indicated that he plans to return for a 17th. That's unsurprising considering he's currently sitting on 1,930 hits, and reaching a round number like 2,000 is a remarkable accomplishment. At 38 years old, Longoria may no longer be an everyday player, but he's an experienced right-handed hitter that would help a lot of teams as a platoon bat, and he shouldn't have too much trouble landing a job. 

While Longoria is likely to reach the 2,000 hit plateau in 2024 — assuming he plays — Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is essentially assured of doing so. The veteran has already logged 1,909 Major League knocks, and a trademark of his illustrious career has been his ability to stay healthy. Hopefully, that statement doesn't jinx that, but I feel confident saying that at some point next summer Goldschmidt will be able to add a special ball to his mantlepiece. He can also reach 1,200 big-league RBI if he can knock in 78 runs. 

First baseman Freddie Freeman has been a model of consistency for his entire career. The Villa Park, CA native is firmly established as a perennial all-star, and he's won an MVP award, a World Series ring, and multiple Silver Sluggers. He's also an extra-base hit machine. Freeman has led the league in doubles four different times, including each of the past two seasons. The 473 two-base hits on his resume are the most of any active player, and barring something drastically unforeseen, he'll easily eclipse the 500 doubles plateau in 2024. This one could come down to September, but he also needs to draw 68 walks to reach 1,000 career free passes. 

Checking in next on the list is Freeman's former teammate, Trea Turner, who is one of baseball's most dynamic five-tool talents. The veteran shortstop can do everything on a baseball field, but it's his elite speed that sets him apart from other all-star caliber middle infielders. Coming into 2024, Turner is sitting on 260 career stolen bases, making getting to 300 a realistic goal. It won't be easy, as he's swiped more than 40 in a single season only twice, but I can guarantee you this is going to be a goal of his in the upcoming campaign. 

Astros superstar second baseman Jose Altuve is no stranger to this list, and he actually reached milestones of both 200 home runs and 400 doubles in 2023. This time around, he has his sights set on surpassing a nice round number for career stolen bases. Altuve will enter play on opening day with 293 lifetime thefts, making it a matter of when and not if he'll get past 300. 

Right-handed swinging first baseman Jose Abreu left Cuba to join Major League Baseball right in the prime of his career, and since arriving he's demonstrated an enviable level of consistency at the sport's highest level. Abreu has slashed 286/.348/.494 with 261 homers across 10 seasons. He's also driven in 953 runs, which is the statistic that lands him on this list. The 36-year-old has already contributed six triple-digit RBI seasons, so the 47 he needs to break the century mark should be no problem. 

Star Padres third baseman Manny Machado has his sights set on the same benchmark as the aforementioned Jose Abreu, and like Abreu, the number is well within his reach. Machado has become the face of baseball in San Diego since the day he joined the Friars, and his five full seasons in southern California have been nothing short of excellent. The veteran has given the Padres four seasons of 28 or more homers, plus another 16 long balls in the COVID shortened 2020 campaign. He's knocked in over 100 runs twice, more than 85 in two other seasons, and had 47 in only 60 games in '20. That level of run production indicates the 56 RBI he needs in 2024 to reach 1,000 for his career should be a walk in the park.

First baseman Anthony Rizzo is the third straight player on this list hoping to join the 1,000 RBI club in 2024, and his pursuit could come down to the wire next fall. The veteran endured a frustrating injury-shortened season in the Bronx last year and struggled through one of the worst statistical campaigns of his career. He'll enter '24 with 930 RBI on his resume, and on the surface you would think he could tally 70 in the year ahead. However, Rizzo has contributed more than 70 RBI only once since 2019, so this would require an uptick in production. Much more realistic is a home run milestone, as with only five more big flies he'll reach the nice round number of 300. 

While the majority of the milestones on this list are of the positive variety, Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton is closing in on a mark he'd probably prefer to avoid. Strikeouts are more prevalent and accepted in today's game than ever before, but they're still not something batters enjoy. In 5,608 career at-bats, Stanton has whiffed 1,820 times, marking an ignominous 32 percent rate. Only seven hitters have ever been punched out more than 2,000 times, and it sure seems like Stanton is on a collision course to be the eighth. Striking out 180 times in a season seems like a lot, but in his last full healthy campaign, Stanton went down on 211 occasions. In some respects, if Stanton is close to this mark in September, it is probably a good thing for both him and the Yankees, as it would indicate he has avoided the injured list.

Hard-throwing Josh Hader has been one of baseball's most dominant closers since he first took over the stopper's role in Milwaukee in 2018, and there is no arguing that he is one of the most intimidating pitchers in all of baseball. The Millersville, MD native has pitched to a lifetime 2.50 ERA across 349 major league appearances, while registering an eye-opening 648 strikeouts in 388.2 innings. He's also notched 165 career saves, putting him firmly in position to become the next closer to reach 200. 

Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is going to go down as one of the best to ever do it, and in 2024 he should add another feather to his already impressive cap. One of the greatest strikeout pitchers of his generation, the lefty has led the league in punchouts three times. He currently sits at 2,944 career strikeouts, and he should join the exclusive 3,000 strikeout club pretty early in the upcoming campaign. 

In many ways, Max Scherzer has been on a parallel path with the earlier-mentioned Clayton Kershaw for the better part of a decade. Scherzer is also a sure-fire future Hall of Famer. He's a three-time Cy Young award winner, an eight-time all-star, and the proud owner of two World Series rings. For the majority of his career he was also a renowned bulldog who consistently contributed well over 200 innings/season. All that work has helped put him in position to join the 3,000 innings club in 2024, as he currently sits just 165.1 frames shy. 

We finish off the list with a little bit of a fun one. Rays manager Kevin Cash is Major League Baseball's all-time leader in successful replay challenges, a record that is obviously only possible due to the fact that challenges themselves are a relatively recent phenomenon. He'll enter 2024 having already successfully gotten 184 calls overturned, making it realistic he could get to 200 during the upcoming campaign.