Every now and again, a veteran MLB player approaches a once-in-a-lifetime millstone.
Whether the milestone is 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, 3,000 pitcher strikeouts, or some sort of all-time record that is on the brink of being surpassed, there are few things in sports more exciting than seeing a player get there.
The anticipation builds as the player gets closer and closer, and fans rush to get tickets to upcoming games in hopes of seeing history made.
And on the topic of making history, we could see a whole lot of it made this season.
Fans should keep an eye on these three milestones as players approach them in 2021.
3. Max Scherzer – 3,000 Strikeouts
The 3,000-strikeout club is an elite one.
Just 18 players have ever joined the ranks, and only two (Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia) have done it in the past decade.
Right this minute, Max Scherzer is sitting at 2,903 career strikeouts.
That puts him just 97 shy of the benchmark, and he will almost certainly get there this season.
Throughout his career, the 36-year-old has led the league in strikeouts three times, strikeouts-per-nine three times, and strikeout-to-walk ration four times.
With this strikeout, Max Scherzer moved into the top 50 all-time in career Ks. pic.twitter.com/2arXjvqSc6
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 22, 2018
Scherzer is one of the best to ever do it.
2. Miguel Cabrera – 500 home runs
Miguel Cabrera may not be the MVP-caliber player he once was, but he still has a lot to accomplish before he calls it quits.
Cabrera is currently just seven home runs shy of 500.
If all goes well, he could get there this season.
Miguel Cabrera is now seven home runs away from 500 pic.twitter.com/I7LIyt35ie
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 28, 2021
The possibility seems especially likely when you consider how good he has looked lately.
Since June 1, Cabrera is batting .312 with an .800 OPS, two home runs, and five doubles.
He has looked like his vintage self lately, but there is no knowing how long it will last.
Regardless, fans will likely pile into Comerica Park as soon as he is one or two home runs away from the milestone.
Just 27 players in MLB history have accomplished the feat.
1. Miguel Cabrera – 3,000 hits
Cabrera cracks the list again, but this time, it’s for a different milestone.
The future Hall of Famer is currently just 85 hits shy of 3,000.
This should surprise no one, as Cabrera has four batting titles to his credit and was arguably the best hitter in baseball during his prime.
For fans hoping to see Cabrera reach 3,000 hits this season, it will likely be very close.
He would need to increase his current pace slightly in order to reach the achievement by the end of the 2021 season.
While it would be epic to see him do it this year, he is under contract until 2024, so he has plenty of time to get the job done.
Cabrera’s upcoming milestones are two of the only reasons the Detroit Tigers are worth watching right now.
Wrap-Up
Both Scherzer and Cabrera will enter Cooperstown one day.
It’s a pleasure for all fans to get to experience the playing careers of both players while they are still active.
Hopefully, both Scherzer and Cabrera will be able to celebrate their upcoming MLB millstones in the very near future.
NEXT: Is Anthony Rendon Overrated? (3 Reasons He Is Not)
Gvorbs says
All players mentioned in this article (Scherzer, Verlander, and Cabrea..have all had arguably their best years with the Detroit Tigers.