Baseball is a staff sport, however watching gamers attempt for and attain vital milestones will be as thrilling because the season itself.
Fans most likely don’t keep in mind a lot concerning the 2015 Red Sox, who went 78-84 with a end on the backside of the division, however David Ortiz’s odyssey to the five hundred Club is unforgettable.
Rafael Devers has already spent years placing his title everywhere in the pages of the franchise report books, and he’s nonetheless solely 26 years outdated. The 2017 ALDS resulted in disappointment, however he turn into the youngest participant in MLB historical past to hit an inside-the-park dwelling run in a postseason sport. Amidst the unsatisfactory 2022 marketing campaign, he set a Red Sox report for extra-base hits earlier than turning 26.
Of course, the general, collective outcomes matter. But why not recognize the components in addition to their sum? Ted Williams was one of many biggest hitters the world has ever identified. Does the truth that he by no means received a hoop change that? It shouldn’t.
This is a staff stuffed with gamers on the cusp of spectacular particular person achievements. Here are among the private, franchise, and MLB milestones to keep watch over all year long:
Personal milestones
When isn’t Devers nearing one other milestone? He wants 9 homers to get to 150, 10 doubles to get to 200, and 41 RBI to get to 500. Since 2019, he’s led MLB in extra-base hits, and is simply 12 away from 350. Last September, he surpassed Lou Gehrig and Stan Musial on the checklist of doubles by left-handed hitters earlier than turning 26.
How will Trevor Story fare when he returns from UCL brace surgical procedure? Twenty-six dwelling runs appears like a stretch, on condition that he hasn’t even began a rehab stint, however that’s what number of he wants to succeed in his 2 hundredth.
Kiké Hernández is one homer away from 100, Alex Verdugo is 5 away from 50.
Justin Turner is seven doubles away from 300. Adam Duvall wants 10 extra doubles to succeed in 150, and he’s 10 runs from scoring his four-hundredth, and 10 RBI from 500.
Over on the pitching facet, Nick Pivetta ought to make his one hundred and fiftieth profession begin by midsummer, and Chris Sale is 5 begins away from 250. His outdated faculty teammate, Richard Bleier, is 26 strikeouts away from 200.
Kenley Jansen is closing in on 600 profession video games and 400 saves.
Franchise report books
With his first dwelling run of the season, Devers tied Dustin Pedroia for nineteenth in franchise historical past. His second homer, on April 6 in Detroit, gave him sole possession of the spot; he wants 9 extra to overhaul Reggie Smith (149). It might be bittersweet to see him hit No. 157; that one will put him forward of Xander Bogaerts.
Devers can also be 10 doubles from 200, which might catapult him forward of Johnny Pesky (196), Ira Flagstead (196) and Mo Vaughn (199). He doubled 42 instances in 141 video games final yr; if he finishes this yr with 40, he’ll move Mookie Betts.
Ryan Brasier has made 205 aid appearances, which ranks twenty first in franchise historical past. He’s near surpassing Alan Embree (211) and Tom Burgmeier (212) within the Boston historical past books. His 206 video games (he made one begin) are tied with Clay Buchholz and Dick Drago for forty seventh.
If not for the entire accidents over the previous couple of years, Sale would already be miles forward of his 2018 rotation-mates within the strikeout column. His 833 regular-season Ks rank 14th in franchise historical past, behind Rick Porcello (852) and Eduardo Rodriguez (892). If he stays wholesome, he may surpass Porcello by the top of the month.
There are solely 10 pitchers with 900 or extra strikeouts in a Red Sox uniform. Will Sale turn into the eleventh this yr?
MLB energetic
Sale (115) and Corey Kluber (113) are neck-and-neck in energetic pitcher wins, ranked twelfth and tied for thirteenth, respectively. It’s an outdated stat in immediately’s bullpen-heavy sport, although.
MLB all-time
Sale’s 2,077 profession strikeouts rank 76th all-time. On Thursday, he surpassed Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela (2,074), 2013 champion Ryan Dempster (2,075), and his former teammate, David Price (2,076). The veteran lefty is simply 4 Okay’s from overtaking Tim Hudson, and a strikeout-heavy begin subsequent week may vault him as much as 73rd, at the moment held by Kevin Millwood (2,083).
Yu Chang solely has 201 profession video games within the majors, however that’s already sufficient for third on the checklist of video games performed by gamers born in Taiwan. His 220th sport will break former Orioles and Marlins pitcher Wei-Yin Chen’s report.
Jansen earned his first Red Sox save within the sequence opener towards the Tigers. His 392 profession saves rank eighth all-time, and he solely wants two extra to tie Craig Kimbrel.
Source: www.bostonherald.com