The top milestones we saw in 2022

Every season is one other likelihood for MLB’s inordinately proficient gamers to indicate us all that they’ll accomplish. Entering the 12 months, it’s all the time enjoyable to anticipate which profession milestones is perhaps reached or surpassed within the upcoming spherical of 162 video games. But over the course of the season, there are additionally single-season marks damaged that we wouldn’t have even seen coming.

Here’s a glance again at 9 people who reached milestones within the 2022 season.

Albert Pujols: 703 HR, ninth all-time in hits, second in complete bases and third in extra-base hits

We knew getting into the 12 months that Pujols would preserve us on milestone watch all summer season. He had 679 house runs, and the primary query was whether or not he’d go Alex Rodriguez’s 696 for fourth on the listing, or maybe attain the rarefied 700 mark. He did so – after which some, hitting Nos. 699 and 700 in the identical recreation on Sept. 23 at Dodger Stadium and ending with 703 homers on his ledger, fourth all–time. He additionally moved up from eleventh to ninth all-time in hits with 3,384, in accordance with the Elias Sports Bureau. Pujols completed his profession with 6,211 complete bases, second to solely Henry Aaron (6,856) after getting into the 12 months in fifth. And he moved up from fourth to 3rd in extra-base hits (1,405).

Miguel Cabrera: 3,000 hits

Sticking with the aforementioned hits listing, Cabrera wanted simply 13 knocks to achieve the three,000-hit membership, and he bought there on April 23. He grew to become simply the thirty third member of the unique group. Having turn into the twenty eighth particular person with 500 house runs in ‘21, Cabrera joined another small list by accomplishing both feats. He’s simply the seventh participant with 3,000 hits and 500 homers, together with Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Rafael Palmeiro, Eddie Murray, Willie Mays and Henry Aaron.

Adam Wainwright & Yadier Molina: most begins as battery

The Cardinals’ dynamic duo entered the season with 304 begins as pitcher and catcher, the fourth-most widespread regular-season beginning battery since 1900. Wainwright made 32 begins in 2022 and Molina caught 24 of them. Along the best way, they handed Red Faber and Ray Schalk (306 begins), Warren Spahn and Del Crandall (316 begins), and eventually Mickey Lolich and Bill Freehan (324 begins) on Sept. 14. The two ended ‘22 with 328 complete begins collectively – setting a excessive bar for any future pitcher/catcher duos which may dare problem the St. Louis legends.

Clayton Kershaw: Dodgers’ all-time strikeout chief

File underneath: issues in baseball that simply make sense. Kershaw entered ‘22 just 27 strikeouts shy of passing Don Sutton’s 2,696 for many in Dodgers franchise historical past. Kershaw recorded his 2,697th on April 30 towards the Tigers and completed the 12 months with 2,807 strikeouts. He’s again for extra with Los Angeles in ‘23, which can solely push that mark greater for any present and future Dodgers pitchers vying to climb the listing.

Aaron Judge: AL single-season house run report

This is a kind of that we didn’t plan forward for getting into the 12 months. It’s one thing that can all the time be on Judge’s profession resume transferring ahead, however not like the opposite milestones talked about to this point, it’s a single-season mark, versus a profession, cumulative one. Judge completed with 62 homers on the season, breaking Roger Maris’ American League report of 61 house runs – from 1961, and Judge did so 61 years later. He grew to become simply the tenth participant with a number of seasons with a minimum of 50 house runs – and the one lively identify on the listing.

Shohei Ohtani: 30 homers and 200 strikeouts

We can’t speak about milestones and feats with out discussing Ohtani, who crushed 34 homers to accompany a career-high 219 strikeouts as a pitcher. He grew to become the primary participant with a minimum of 30 house runs on the plate and 200 strikeouts on the mound in a season. The prior most homers in a 200-pitching-strikeout season was seven, by Earl Wilson (1966), Don Drysdale (‘65) and Jack Stivetts (1890 and ‘91). The prior most strikeouts as a pitcher in a 30-homer season was 156, by Ohtani in ‘21. Before that? Three, by Babe Ruth in 1930 and ‘21.

Julio Rodríguez: quickest to fifteen homers & 20 stolen bases; 25-25 in debut season

On July 4, Rodríguez hit his fifteenth house run in his 81st profession recreation. He’d already reached 20 stolen bases, which means that the homer made him the quickest participant by video games to fifteen and 20 for his profession. On Sept. 14, he swiped his twenty fifth bag and hit his twenty sixth homer, changing into the third rookie with a 25-25 season, becoming a member of Mike Trout (2012) and Chris Young (‘07). But unlike those two rookies, who had debuted a year prior, Rodríguez was in his first MLB season. He’s the one participant with 25 homers and 25 stolen bases in his first season.

Gerrit Cole: Yankees’ single-season strikeout report

This mark appeared destined to fall sooner or later as soon as Cole joined the Yankees. In 2021, he struck out 243 batters, on the time the second-most in a season in franchise historical past behind Ron Guidry’s 248 in 1978. Cole set the report in ‘22, putting the mark at 257. Having a franchise’s single-season report for strikeouts was a well-known spot for Cole, who set the identical for the Astros in ‘19, at 326. He’s certainly one of simply 5 pitchers who at present maintain the single-season strikeout report for a number of present franchises, together with Pedro Martínez (Expos/Nats, Red Sox), Nolan Ryan (Rangers, Angels), Randy Johnson (Mariners, Diamondbacks) and Rube Waddell (A’s, Browns/Orioles).