Introduction
For the previous couple of years, I’ve tried to compile lists of particular person participant milestones that may be reached throughout the season. Those lists have included Eugenio Suarez successfully reaching 300 profession dwelling runs and Torey Lovullo’s elusive makes an attempt to return to a successful record as a supervisor. I discover it fascinating to see how shut (or far) gamers are to sure large, round-number milestones of their profession. I like that baseball is one among the most team-focused sports activities we now have, however I nonetheless assume it’s price specializing in the particular person occasionally so we will remind ourselves of the sorts of particular person targets that gamers might have. As all the time, these milestones aren’t complete, aren’t listed in any specific order, and are primarily centered on milestones that might make for good headlines. And since the group is simply 4 video games (and counting) into the marketing campaign, I believed a examine in at the starting of the yr would be an applicable solution to begin the yr’s column.
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Ketel Marte slamming his 2 hundredth profession dwelling run
Arguably one among the greatest second basemen in the recreation and inarguably the group’s chief on and off the area, Marte has been an unbelievable offensive power over the final three years. In that span, he’s posted a .283/.368/.519 slash line and blasted 89 homers – seven greater than he had in the earlier eight seasons. That mixture places him at 172 profession dwelling runs, ok for 53rd on the active list – and someplace in the higher 400s on the all-time list. No matter, reaching 200 profession homers would be a pleasant capstone for Marte as he enters the subsequent part of his profession of his early 30s, and he’s already acquired one tater on the younger season. And there’s various different milestones which are probably within reach – together with Marte shifting to the quantity two spot in the all-time list for the franchise. He’s at the moment sitting ~6.8 bWAR behind Paul Goldschmidt on that listing so a repeat efficiency of his 2024 marketing campaign would match that completely. As lengthy as he isn’t traded, it’s probably extra a query of when fairly than if he’ll transfer up that listing, nevertheless it’s one other one I’ll be watching this season.
Nolan Arenado hitting his 2000th profession hit
It’s not typically that likely Hall of Famers are traded for relative peanuts, however Arenado shouldn’t be most gamers. For one, there aren’t very many gamers who’ve full MLB articles detailing their top-10 defensive highlights. And there haven’t been that many gamers who’ve managed to remain in the league for 14 plus years both. While Arenado wasn’t dropped at the desert for his offensive prowess at this level in his profession, that doesn’t imply there aren’t some offensive milestones the longtime veteran could learn this season. In my opinion, the largest one is hitting his 2,000th base hit which he’s very prone to get in some unspecified time in the future this season. Even a very disappointing offensive efficiency much like the one he put up final yr when he had simply 95 knocks all season would nonetheless internet him this milestone. As of writing, Arenado’s 1.923 hits locations him sixth on the active list for profession hits and reaching 2,000 hits would put him in some elite firm as simply 298 gamers in all of baseball have ever reached that plateau.
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Paul Sewald securing his one centesimal profession save
It’s not a very daring assertion to level out that the D-Backs have a bullpen downside. We’ve seen that in 4 out of the first 5 video games as the aid corps practically blew an eight-run lead final evening and struggled to maintain a strong Dodgers lineup down. Amazingly, Sewald has been one among the few brilliant spots popping out of the pen as he has but to permit a success in both of his first two appearances on the younger season. That clearly gained’t maintain for lengthy, however he’ll nonetheless probably play an vital half in the bullpen rotation till AJ Puk and Justin Martinez return from their respective accidents. You’d additionally be forgiven for not realizing that Sewald was so near this specific milestone as he’s quietly amassed saves over the final five years since shifting to the again finish of the bullpen with the Mariners again in 2021. But reaching 100 saves would equally put Sewald into some comparatively uncommon house: there are solely 171 relievers who’ve hit that milestone since saves turned an official statistic practically 60 years in the past. I’ll additionally exit on limb and assume that if Sewald reaches the milestone this season, the D-Backs will be in fairly good condition because it probably signifies fairly just a few transformed save alternatives earlier than Puk and Martinez make their approach again to the group.
