12 players who reached big-time milestones in 2024

Every season is another chance for MLB’s incredibly talented players to show us all that they can accomplish. Entering the year, it’s always fun to anticipate which career milestones might be reached or surpassed in the upcoming round of 162 games. But over the course of the season, there are also single-season marks broken that we wouldn’t have even seen coming.

Here’s a look back at 12 individuals who reached milestones in the 2024 season.

Corbin Burnes: 1,000 strikeouts

The ace entered the season with 870 career strikeouts in 709 1/3 innings. He reached 1,000 in the third inning on Aug. 4, when he struck out Lane Thomas for the second out. Burnes got there in 850 2/3 innings, the fourth-fewest innings to the mark among pitchers who started in at least 50% of their appearances by the time of their 1,000th strikeouts, according to Elias. He trails only Robbie Ray (810 IP), Yu Darvish (812 IP) and Blake Snell (820 2/3 IP).

Pete Alonso: 200 home runs

Alonso entered 2024 with 192 career home runs in 684 games. He had reached 100 homers in the second-fewest games in MLB history. On April 27, Alonso hit his 200th career homer in his 710th game. That’s the fourth-fewest games to 200 career home runs, behind only Ryan Howard (658 games), Aaron Judge (671) and Ralph Kiner (706).

Aaron Judge: 300 home runs

Judge entered the season with 257 career home runs in 835 games. He reached 200 homers in the second-fewest games in MLB history, as noted above, and then this year set the mark for fewest games to 300 career home runs when he got there on Aug. 14. He did so in his 955th game, well ahead of Kiner’s 1,087 games, the prior fewest.

Juan Soto: 200 home runs, most walks before turning 26

Soto entered the season with 160 career home runs and played the entire regular season at age 25. On Sept. 17, he became the eighth player to reach 200 homers before turning 26, joining Jimmie Foxx, Eddie Mathews, Alex Rodriguez, Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Albert Pujols and Frank Robinson. Soto’s 640 career walks entering the year were most in MLB history before turning 25 and second-most before turning 26, behind Mantle’s 668. He drew No. 669 on May 14 and finished with 769, setting the bar for that pre-26 record even higher.

Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer: 10th and 11th all-time in strikeouts

The two-time former teammates entered the year 11th and tied for 12th all-time in career strikeouts. Scherzer was 11th with 3,367 and Verlander was tied with Phil Niekro for 12th at 3,342, both within striking distance of tenth all-time, which was Greg Maddux’s 3,371. Both passed Maddux, with Verlander ending the season 10th with 3,416 and Scherzer 11th with 3,407.

Shohei Ohtani: 50-50 season, most career home runs by a Japanese-born player

Here’s one we didn’t know we’d be counting down to before the season began. Ohtani became the first player in MLB history with at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season. While the round-number feat is 50-50, Ohtani was already in an exclusive club the moment he got to 43 homers and 43 stolen bases, which nobody else had ever done. But he didn’t stop there, finishing with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases. Ohtani’s fifth homer of the year was the 176th of his career, passing Hideki Matsui for the most by a Japanese-born player in MLB – a mark that now stands at 225.

Manny Machado: Padres all-time home run leader

Machado had 139 homers with San Diego in 659 games entering ‘24, the fifth-most in franchise history. Nate Colbert had held the record with 163 in 866 games since his last game with the Padres in 1974. Machado hit his 164th with the Padres on Sept. 10, passing Colbert. The only other active players who hold a franchise all-time lead in homers are Mike Trout with the Angels (378) and Giancarlo Stanton with the Marlins (267).

• Every team's all-time home run leader

Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel: fourth and fifth all-time in saves

Jansen entered the year with 420 saves, seventh all-time, with Kimbrel right behind in eighth with 417. Over the course of the season, both passed Billy Wagner (422 saves), John Franco (424) and Francisco Rodríguez (437), who had been sixth, fifth and fourth, respectively, entering ‘24. Jansen is now fourth with 447 and Kimbrel is fifth with 440. Mariano Rivera is the all-time leader with 652.

Matt Olson: 600 consecutive games and counting

Olson played his 600th consecutive game on Sept. 7, a streak that dates to May 2, 2021. He ended the year at 620, a streak he will carry into ‘25. The only other streaks of at least 600 consecutive games to begin in the divisional era (since 1969) are, of course, 1982-98 Cal Ripken Jr. (2,632 games), as well as 1975-83 Steve Garvey (1,207), 2000-07 Miguel Tejada (1,152), 1978-83 Pete Rose (745), 1981-86 Dale Murphy (740), 1973-78 Rose (678) and 1969-73 Sandy Alomar Sr. (661).

Bobby Witt Jr.: second consecutive 30-30 season

On Sept. 17, Witt became the first shortstop in MLB history with multiple seasons of at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases. He’s the first player with multiple 30-30 seasons through his age-24 season. Witt is just the eighth player to record at least two consecutive 30-30 seasons, joining Ryan Braun (2011-12), Alfonso Soriano (2005-06, 2002-03), Vladimir Guerrero Sr. (2001-02), Barry Bonds (1995-97), Ron Gant (1990-91), Bobby Bonds (1977-78) and Willie Mays (1956-57).