10 players who could reach career milestones in 2026

With each new baseball season, there are always more milestones to look out for -- and 2026 is no exception to that rule.

Here is a look at some major milestones on the horizon for 2026 and beyond, along with a breakdown of each player’s chances of getting there this year.

Aaron Judge: 400 home runs

Judge enters the season with 368 career home runs, the most in MLB since his debut season of 2016. He reached 300 homers in 955 games, the fewest in MLB history, so it’s worth wondering where he may rank for fewest games to 400 career home runs. He’s played 1,145 games so far. The list:

Mark McGwire: 1,412 games
Babe Ruth: 1,475
Alex Rodriguez: 1,489
Giancarlo Stanton: 1,520
Albert Pujols: 1,523

Will it happen?

Judge needs 32 home runs, which certainly seems doable for a player who hit 62 in ‘22, 52 in ‘17, 37 in just 106 games in 2023, 58 in 2024 and 53 last season. And he’ll get there in the fewest games as long as he does it in the next season and a half.

Juan Soto: 1,000 walks, most walks before turning 29

Soto’s 896 career walks are most in MLB history before turning 27, which he turned in October, and 28, which he will turn this October. He’s already set the pre-28 record, and he’s yet to even play a regular-season game as a 27-year-old. Thus, we look ahead. The most before turning 29 is 1,003 walks, by Mickey Mantle. Given that Soto has the most career walks before turning 20 years old (79 BB), 21 (187), 23 (373), 24 (508), 25 (640), 26 (769), 27 (896) and 28 (896 & counting), it’s worth wondering where he may pace in terms of fewest games to 1,000 walks. The list, per the Elias Sports Bureau:

Ted Williams: 1,091 games
Max Bishop: 1,121
Frank Thomas: 1,246
Babe Ruth: 1,263
Eddie Yost: 1,320

Will it happen?

That first Soto Shuffle of the regular season is as sure a sign of spring as there is. Soto needs 104 walks for 1,000. His fewest in a season in which he played at least 120 games was 108, in 2019. He’s had at least 127 walks in each season since the start of 2021. As for the fewest games list, he’s played 1,096 games so far and figures to land at No. 3 or 4 when he reaches 1,000.

José Ramírez: 300 home runs and 300 SB, most total bases in CLE history

Ramírez enters the season with 285 career home runs and 287 stolen bases. There are only eight players in MLB history with at least 300 homers and 300 stolen bases:

Carlos Beltrán
Alex Rodriguez
Barry Bonds
Reggie Sanders
Steve Finley
Andre Dawson
Bobby Bonds
Willie Mays

He also has 3,007 career total bases, second to only Earl Averill’s 3,201 in Cleveland history, per Elias.

Will it happen?

He needs 15 homers and 13 stolen bases for 300-300. Considering he’s had a 30-40 season in each of the last two years, this seems quite likely. Speaking of which, the only player to record at least three consecutive 30-30 seasons is Barry Bonds (1995-97), and nobody has had 30-40 in three straight seasons. He needs 195 total bases for the franchise record. Since becoming an everyday player in 2016, his fewest total bases in a non-2020 season is 231 in 2019.

Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander: 3,500 strikeouts, moving up top 10 all-time

The two-time former teammates enter the year eighth and 11th all-time in career strikeouts. Verlander is eighth with 3,553 and Scherzer is 11th at 3,489, both within striking distance of seventh all-time. Here’s the relevant list, according to Elias:

Most strikeouts all-time:

1. Nolan Ryan: 5,714
2. Randy Johnson: 4,875
3. Roger Clemens: 4,672
4. Steve Carlton: 4,136
5. Bert Blyleven: 3,701
6. Tom Seaver: 3,640
7. Don Sutton: 3,574
8. Justin Verlander: 3,553
9. Gaylord Perry: 3,534
10. Walter Johnson: 3,515

Will it happen?

This will just be as it’s been for a while now: the two future Hall of Famers moving up the list in tandem. The seventh spot is definitely reachable. Verlander is 22 strikeouts from passing Sutton and Scherzer is 86 from passing that mark. Both of those can be doable in a full season. Verlander had 137 strikeouts in 152 innings last year and in Scherzer’s last season with at least 150 innings, in 2023, he had 174.

Tyler Glasnow: 1,000 strikeouts

Glasnow enters with 952 career strikeouts in 754 innings. Glasnow is on pace to have the fewest innings to reach the mark among pitchers who started in at least 50% of their appearances by the time of their 1,000th strikeouts, according to Elias. The list:

Freddy Peralta: 804 2/3 IP
Robbie Ray: 810 IP
Yu Darvish: 812 IP
Blake Snell: 820 2/3 IP
Dylan Cease: 830 1/3 IP

Will it happen?

Glasnow is 48 strikeouts away. Last season, he had 106 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings, and in 2024, he had 168 strikeouts in 134 innings. Based on his career numbers, he’s on pace to reach this mark in fewer than 795 innings, which would top the list and then some.

Jacob deGrom: 2,000 strikeouts

DeGrom enters with 1,851 career strikeouts in 1,539 2/3 innings. He is on pace to have among the fewest innings to reach the mark among pitchers who started in at least 50% of their appearances by the time of their 2,000th strikeouts, according to Elias. The list:

Chris Sale: 1,696 IP
Yu Darvish: 1,697 1/2 IP
Pedro Martinez: 1,711 1/3 IP
Gerrit Cole: 1,714 2/3 IP
Randy Johnson: 1,733 1/3 IP

Will it happen?

DeGrom is 149 strikeouts away. Last season, he had 185 strikeouts in 172 2/3 innings in his return to healthy form. Based on his career numbers, he’s on pace to reach this mark in fewer innings than anyone else, and even if we go with his pace from 2025, still strikeout-heavy but not where he was in his Cy Young years, he’s still likely to top the list.

A few more to keep an eye on ...

Shohei Ohtani, 300 home runs and 700 strikeouts: Ohtani enters the year with 280 home runs. He has 670 career strikeouts as a pitcher. He’s already one of two players in MLB history with at least 200 home runs and more than 15 strikeouts on the mound, along with Babe Ruth (714 home runs, 501 pitching strikeouts).

Ronald Acuña Jr., 200 home runs & 200 SB: MLB’s only 40-70 club member has 186 career homers and 205 stolen bases in 817 games. He’s 28. The only players to reach 200-200 before turning 29 are Mike Trout and Barry Bonds, and the fewest games to the combined mark is 929, by Alfonso Soriano.

Kenley Jansen, third-most saves: Jansen enters the year fourth all-time with 476 saves, looking up at Lee Smith in third with 478.