MLB Numbers I Would Like to See in 2024

Major League Baseball is all about numbers. No other sport has the type of rich numerical history and memory recall that baseball enjoys. Because of the way the game is played in 2024, some of the iconic or routine numbers of the past no longer apply today. With that being said, there are some difficult, but potentially obtainable numbers I would like to see take place in 2024. I doubt they will be reached this season but with a renewed emphasis on speed, perhaps we are closer than we think to a couple of these milestones.

100 as in steals. Since 1900, only four players have stolen 100 or more bases in a single season: Rickey Henderson, Lou Brock, Vince Coleman and Maury Wills. Coleman was the most recent to accomplish this feat, swiping 110 bags in 1985. Growing up, I was spoiled watching Henderson and Coleman dueling to get to 100 and also witnessed guys like Ron LeFlore, Omar Moreno, Willie Wilson and Tim Raines push 80 and 90 steals. While we are a long way from getting back to the go-go 80’s, seeing a superstar like Ronald Acuna steal 73 bases means that perhaps this category is getting renewed attention. Making the bases larger before last season entices runners to take an extra base. The odds are extremely long to get to 100 but 80 from a daring player is not out of the question.

250 as in innings pitched. The days of starting pitchers hurling 300 innings are never coming back. Reasons are varied but the chief factor is the advent of the five man, and in some cases, six man rotation. In fact, the barometer is not 250 innings anymore, it is more like 200. In 2023, only Logan Webb, Zac Gallen, Gerrit Cole, Miles Mikolas and Chris Bassett matched or exceeded 200, with Webb leading the way at 216. Sooner or later, management will trust their eyes more than the analytics and leave a pitcher in for more than six innings when he is throwing well. The game needs to de-emphasize strikeouts which require more effort, and focus on just getting guys out. If and when these two things happen, expect more pitchers to hit 200 innings and maybe, just maybe get to the magic 250.

700 as in at bats. At bats are different from plate appearances. At bats do not include things such as walks, a hit by pitch and sacrifices. Hundreds of players have had over 700 plate appearances in a single season but only four have had 700 at bats: Jimmy Rollins (716), Willie Wilson (705), Ichiro Suzuki (704) and Juan Samuel (701). Whit Merrifield had 681 at bats in 2019 so someone reaching 700 in 2024 is certainly within reach. It has to be someone that plays every day, bats at the top of the lineup and doesn’t walk a lot. Acuna comes to mind as he plays nearly every day and leads off. However, he drew 80 walks last year; in order to have a shot at 700, he would have to cut that in half. In fact, the stars of the Braves play almost every day and they have been one of the most successful teams in baseball over the last five years. Maybe more teams will get the bright idea to play their best players as much as possible. We will have a much better chance to see a 700 at bat player when that happens.

20 as in triples. In my opinion, the most exciting play in baseball is a triple. You can have your home runs with the silly bat flips. Nothing is better than watching the game of will he or won’t he as a hitter flies around the bases. Maybe triples are exciting because they are a little rare. Sam Crawford has the most career triples with 309 and the single season record holder is Owen Wilson (shockingly, not the actor) with 36. 2007 was the last season that saw a player with 20 or more triples as Curtis Granderson had 23 while the aforementioned Jimmy Rollins banged out 21. Rollins’s number is especially interesting as half of his games were in Citizens Bank Park, a rather small ballpark. With the game becoming more speed oriented, it wouldn’t come as a shock if someone lands on 15 or 16 three baggers this season. Maybe we won’t see 20 in 2024 but I have a feeling we will witness it some time before the end of the decade.