Significant milestones that might be reached during the 2025 MLB season

For the majority of his career, three-time American League MVP Mike Trout was unanimously considered the best player in baseball, and it's disappointing how injuries have really derailed him in recent years. The 33-year-old has played in more than 100 games only once since the end of 2019, and he's coming off a year in which he was limited to just 29 of the Angels contests. He'll enter '24 needing only 22 home runs to reach the milestone number of 400, which is obviously doable, but he'll need to stay healthy. 

Veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has had a remarkably productive Major League career. The Texas State product spent his first eight seasons in Arizona, and just completed an excellent six year run in St. Louis. He's currently a free agent and at 37-years-old is likely no longer a fit for a rebooting Cardinals team. But Goldschmidt has publicly stated he will continue to play in 2025, and he should be a boon to a contending team. The right-handed slugger will enter '25 in need of just 13 RBI to reach the nice round number of 1200. He's also 38 home runs short of 400---though that is a long shot as even in his prime the most he hit in a single season was 36. 

Middletown, OH native Kyle Schwarber has as much pure power as any hitter in baseball, and in three seasons has become quite the fan favorite in Philadelphia. Schwarber has given the Phillies campaigns of 46, 47, and 38 home runs, which makes it essentially a foregone conclusion that he'll reach 300 career bombs likely during the first half in 2025. The left-handed slugger needs just 16 more homers to reach that round number, and he should also round out several of his other career numbers. Schwarber needs 95 hits in 2025 to reach 1,000, and with 44 more RBI he'll get to 700. 

Right-handed swinging Eugenio Suarez has quietly been one of baseball's most prolific run producers for over a decade, and his first season in Phoenix with the Diamondbacks was no different. In 2024, the veteran slashed .256/.319/.469 with 30 home runs, putting him well within striking distance of the nice round career number of 300--a goal he'll accomplish with just 24 more. 

Atlanta's Marcell Ozuna has been one of baseball's most dominant offensive players over the past two years, a trend the Braves certainly hope continues in 2025. Between '23-'24, the 34-year-old has blasted 79 homers and driven in 204 runs, and with all the injuries the Braves suffered a year ago, he was the biggest reason the team was able to stay afloat. Heading into next season, Ozuna has some milestone numbers in his sights. He needs 25 more homers to reach 300, 120 more RBI to reach 1,000, and 39 more doubles to reach 300. 

Catcher Salvador Perez has been the heartbeat of the Royals team since 2011, and it was really cool to see him get to go on another postseason run last October. Perez will turn 35 in May but has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon, and is coming off his best offensive season in years. Heading into 2025 Perez and Royals intend to build on their ALDS appearance in '24, and in the process, Kansas City's captain could reach some impressive career milestones. He hit 27 home runs a year ago and needs 27 more to reach 300 lifetime long balls. He'll also reach 300 career doubles with just 15 more two-base hits, and with 84 more RBI he'll get to 1,000. 

Los Angeles outfielder Mookie Betts is one of the most physically gifted athletes in our sport, and there really is not much he can't do on a baseball field. Last season a broken hand cost him a significant portion of the middle of the year, but he was back and thriving down the stretch and played a huge role in the Dodgers bringing a World Series title back to Hollywood. Heading into 2025 Betts is on the brink of reaching some notable career milestones, needing 29 home runs to reach 300, 29 doubles to reach 400, and 12 stolen bases to get to 200. 

Freddie Freeman is pretty much unanimously considered the most likable man in baseball, and after going through so much personally in 2024, it was magical to watch him have such a dominant World Series and earn his second career ring. The veteran first baseman has been a prominent member of this list before, and heading into '25 he has yet another big round number well within his sights. Freeman needs 68 RBI to reach 1,300---a number he will get to next summer provided he stays healthy. 

The Cardinals are clearly trying to get younger and it's been mentioned that veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado could potentially be available via trade this winter. It would not be stunning if he's dealt, but at the same time, that shouldn't be a foregone conclusion. Even at 33 years old Arenado remains a reliable and productive offensive player, and while his power numbers have been steadily declining since '21, a lot of that likely has to do with hitting in the middle of a line-up that as a whole has not been very productive of late. Heading into '25, Arenado needs 68 RBI to get to 1,200 for his career--a number that should be more than attainable considering he's never driven in fewer than that in a full season. 

Giancarlo Stanton seems to perpetually struggle to stay on the field, which is shame for the Yankees---and baseball fans in general---because when healthy he's simply fun to watch. The behemoth right-handed slugger has a ferociously violent swing that generates as much power as anyone in the game, and you don't leave the room when he's at the plate. Right now Stanton sits 97 RBI shy of 1200 for his career, a number that would be well within his reach in '25 if he can avoid the injury bug. 

Third baseman Manny Machado has been the face of the San Diego Padres since the day he joined the team as a free agent ahead of the 2019 season and after 13 excellent Major League campaigns, he's closing in on some attention-grabbing milestones. The six-time all-star will take the field on opening day next year with exactly 1,900 hits on his resume, which means unless he suffers a serious injury at some point during the season, he should reach the round number of 2,000 sometime in the summer. He's also 37 doubles shy of 400 which would admittedly be a lot for a single season but he's already eclipsed that total three times. Lastly, with only 51 more RBI Machado will reach 1,100. 

The Phillies landed superstar Bryce Harper during the same offseason Machado went to San Diego, and the marriage between he and the City of Brotherly Love has been idyllic. Harper's hard-nosed style resonates with the Philadelphia fan base, and if he's ever able to bring a World Series title back to Philly they'll build a statue of him outside the stadium. Heading into 2025, Harper, like Machado, has some pretty impressive career milestones within his grasp. He sits only 24 RBI shy of 1,000, and who knows, if he can have a career year and come up with 124 maybe he can even get to 1,100. He also needs only 31 doubles to get to 400.  

Left-handed swinging Anthony Rizzo has been one of the most productive two-way first basemen of his era, but at 35 years old it's obvious his career is in its backstretch. In the Bronx last season Rizzo missed significant time with a broken arm, and when he was on the field the .228/.301/.335 slash line he put together was disappointing when compared to his typical numbers. The veteran is currently a free agent, and all indications are he will not be back with the Yankees. Whatever uniform he ends up in in the coming weeks will be the one in which he reaches a pretty cool milestone, though. With only 35 more RBI Rizzo will reach 1,000. 

Philadelphia's Trea Turner has been one of the game's best all-around shortstops for quite some time now and is a key part of a Phillies core that has enjoyed a lot of success recently. In 121 games last season, the veteran slashed .295/.338/.469 with 46 extra-base hits and 19 stolen bases. The last part of that stat line is the most relevant one to his inclusion on this list, as those 19 thefts got Turner to 279 career steals, putting him just 21 away from an impressive 300. 

When superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. was lost for the season due to a torn ACL last summer it was devastating for not only the Braves team but the sport in general. Acuna Jr. is simply one of the most talented players in the game, and is a joy to watch on a nightly basis. In '23 he had just enjoyed a career season and won NL MVP honors, and to see his season end the way it did a year ago was disappointing. When he comes back in '25, the 26-year-old is unlikely to be running rampant like he did during his MVP season, but he should still be able to swipe four bases which would get him to 200 career thefts. 

The Mets' Francisco Lindor got off to a slow start in 2024 but rebounded quickly, and when all was said and done, he might have turned in his most productive all-around season. In 152 games, Lindor slashed .273/.344/.500 with 33 home runs, 91 RBI, 39 doubles, and 29 stolen bases. He finished just a single steal short of a 2nd consecutive 30/30 campaign, and like Acuna Jr. above, the stolen base category is what has him on this list. The veteran shortstop needs to swipe just 15 more bags to reach 200 in his career. 

Hard-throwing lefty Josh Hader has been an elite closer in our game for nearly a decade. He owns a lifetime 2.70 ERA in 459.2 Major League innings, has struck out an eye-popping 753 hitters, and has converted more than 33 saves in every season he's been a full-time closer--excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. All of those saves have him on the precipice of a nice round number, as with just a single save in 2025 he'll get to 200 in his career. 

Right-hander Emmanuel Clase is coming off one of--if not the best--seasons by a closer potentially ever. I realize that's a weighty statement, but let's dive into his numbers from 2024 and let you decide for yourself. In 74 appearances for the Guardians, Clase pitched to a microscopic 0.61 ERA with an 0.66 WHIP. Opponents managed to hit just .154 against him, he struck out 66 hitters in 74.1 innings, and he converted an American League high 47 saves. Clase unfortunately struggled a bit in the playoffs--likely from overuse--but Cleveland obviously remains incredibly confident in him heading into 2025. Speaking of '25, with 42 more saves the 26-year-old will reach 200 in his career, and while that sounds like a lot, he has registered at least that many in three straight seasons. 

Switch-hitting first baseman Carlos Santana has been a productive and consistent offensive player for a decade and a half, and even at 38 years old, he remains a legitimate run producer. In Minnesota last season, the veteran slashed .242/.354/.431 with 23 home runs and 71 RBI, and while he's currently a free agent, he should have no trouble landing a new gig this winter. Whichever team Santana signs with will be the one he reaches 400 career doubles with, as he needs just seven more two-base hits to get to the milestone. 

Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos brings the type of fire and edge every fan base gravitates to, and it's no surprise he's become beloved by the Philadelphia faithful. It also helps that he's consistently been immensely productive--not just during his three years in Philly but throughout his career as a whole. Last season he slashed .254/.311/.431 with 23 homers, 86 RBI, and 30 doubles. The doubles are what land him on this list, because with 28 more he'll get to the nice round number of 400. 

Switch-hitting third baseman Jose Ramirez has quietly been dominating the league for pretty much his entire career, and if he didn't play in Cleveland he would get much more national attention. The 32-year-old is a six-time American League all-star, has won five Silver Slugger awards, and, in 2024, was named to the All-MLB First Team. Ramirez has led the AL in doubles twice, which is part of the reason he's on this list. With 36 two-base hits in '25, he'll get to 400 for his career.