With the 2017 baseball season in full swing, fans have another 162 games to see players wind up reaching statistical benchmarks.
Should New York Mets third baseman David Wright actually take the field, he’ll need 11 home runs to break Daryl Strawberry’s franchise mark of 252. Toronto Blue Jays right fielder José Bautista, who has averaged 94 bases on balls a season, needs 109 more free passes to break Carlos Delgado’s all-time Blue Jays record of 827. And should Florida Marlins right fielder Giancarlos Stanton drive in 39 runs this season, he’ll pass former third baseman Mike Lowell’s total of 578 RBIs for most in Marlins history. The following are players looking to join exclusive company should the baseball gods deem them worthy.
Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
The Millville Meteor may only be 25, but he’s already considered one of the game’s best players. At his tender age, the outfielder has already been a five-time All Star, a two-time MVP, a five-time Silver Slugger, a 2012 member of the 30-30 club and the 2012 American League Rookie of the Year. If he hits 32 home runs this year, Trout will be the eighth player to reach 200 before the age of 26 if he does it before Aug. 7.
Adrian Beltre (Texas Rangers)
As one of Major League Baseball’s most all-around accomplished players, the Dominican Republic native is a five-time Gold Glover, a four-time Silver Slugger Award-winner and the fourth third baseman to achieve the 400 home run/1,500-RBI mark. Now, the current Texas Ranger needs 58 hits to enter the 3,000 Hit Club.
Albert Pujols (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
The former St. Louis Cardinals first baseman nicknamed “The Machine” already has an impressive array of accomplishments to his name including being a two-time World Series champion, a 10-time All Star, a National League batting title, two Gold Gloves, six Silver Slugger awards and the 2001 Rookie of the Year trophy. Should he rack up nine round-trippers, the future Hall of Famer will join the 600-homer club.
Bartolo Colon (Atlanta Braves)
Big Sexy needs 135 Ks to become the 33rd member of the 2,500-strikeout club. Those numbers, combined with his 888 career walks, would have Colon become only the ninth pitcher to accrue 2,500 strikeouts and fewer than 1,000 bases on balls. And with the Braves being his ninth team, Gaylord Perry would no longer be the 2,500-strikeout club hurler who played for the most teams (eight).
