12 Milestones and Records That Could Be Set in Final Weeks of MLB Season

As the 2026 MLB season winds down, there remains plenty left to play for. Ten of 12 playoff spots are still up for grabs, and teams still in the hunt will be looking to end the season on a high note in hopes of sneaking into the postseason.

From a statistical perspective, there are also a handful of players that are within striking distance of some impressive career milestones, as well as those at risk of setting some unfortunate league history. Let’s zoom in on some guys who will be under the microscope, for better or worse, as the regular season winds down.

Pete Alonso - 300 home runs

MLB — Pete Alonso is one home run shy of 300 for his career. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With 13 games remaining, Alonso sits just one home run shy of the 300 mark. The right-handed slugger has 299 home runs in his career, including 35 this season––his sixth consecutive campaign with 30-plus bombs. Alonso has homered in two of his last four games, and on Sunday he also reached the 100-RBI mark for the fifth time. Alonso has played in 1,158 games in his career, and if he can hit his 300th homer within the next six games, he’ll become the 10th fastest player by games played to hit 300 home runs, landing in between Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols, who achieved the feat in 1,148 and 1,165 games, respectively.

Eugenio Suarez - 350 home runs

The Reds don’t have much to play for this year, but Suarez will be in pursuit of an individual milestone with 14 games left to play. The 35-year-old has 348 career home runs, just two away from 350. Suarez hit 49 home runs last year for the Diamondbacks and Mariners, and while he hasn’t replicated that level of power back in Cincinnati, he’s still been good for 23 homers in 114 games. He’ll have a little more than two weeks to hit No. 350. Suarez currently ranks 107th all-time in career home runs, and he could claw his way into a deadlock with Chili Davis for No. 106 if he’s able to hit his 350th before the season ends.

Francisco Lindor - 300 home runs

MLB — Francisco Lindor has 299 career home runs. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Just like his former teammate Pete Alonso, Lindor is at 299 home runs for his career. He’s hit 20 in 91 games this season, and with 13 games left to play, he’d join the 300 club with just one more bomb. Lindor’s been on a tear over the past week, with four home runs in his last four games, including two in the Mets’ 12–2 rout of the Yankees on Saturday. Getting there would make him the first person in MLB history with 300 home runs, 200 stolen bases and 1,500 games played at shortstop. That could be quite a feather in his cap when we’re debating his Hall of Fame credentials years from now.

Jose Ramirez - 300 home runs, 1,000 RBIs

The Guardians star hasn’t had a good season, with just 11 home runs through 115 games. If he can find his power stroke at the plate as the season winds down, he could reach the 300 home run mark. Ramirez currently has 296 homers for his career, and he’s also just three RBIs shy of 1,000. Getting to both would make him the eighth player in MLB history (and the first third baseman) with 300 home runs, 300 stolen bases and 1,000 RBIs, joining Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Willie Mays, Andre Dawson, Carlos Beltrán, Bobby Bonds and Steve Finley.

Manny Machado - 400 home runs

MLB — Manny Machado is five home runs away from 400 for his career. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Barring a late-season power surge from Machado, this milestone may have to wait until the 2027 campaign, but the Padres star sits at 395 career home runs with 14 games left to play. It hasn’t been the best season for the 34-year-old, but he’s still clubbed 26 home runs in 144 games, marking his 11th consecutive full-length season with at least 25 homers. He’s already only one of five players with 395 home runs and at least 1,5000 games played at third base, along with Mike Schmidt, Eddie Matthews, Adrian Beltré and Chipper Jones.

Pete Crow-Armstrong - 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases

Only six players in MLB history have recorded 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. Crow-Armstrong has a chance to become the seventh player in the exclusive club. With 12 games left in the season, the speedy center fielder has already hit 41 home runs, and he’ll need four stolen bases to bring his tally to 40 on the year. Through 12 games in September, Crow-Armstrong has stolen four bases, so if he can mirror that production through the remaining 12 games in the month, he’d be on pace to end the year with exactly 40 steals. If successful, he’d join Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez, Ronald Acuña and Shohei Ohtani in league history.

CJ Abrams - 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases

MLB — CJ Abrams is one stolen base away from his first 30–30 season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 30–30 club isn’t as exclusive as the 40–40 one, but it’s still an impressive feat. Abrams sits just one stolen base away from joining the former. He’s already set the Nationals’ franchise record for most home runs by a shortstop in a single season, and now he could become the 52nd player in league history to log a 30–30 campaign––a feat that’s been achieved 81 times before. Only six shortstops have done it: Barry Larkin, Alex Rodriguez, Jimmy Rollins, Hanley Ramirez, Bobby Witt Jr. and Francisco Lindor.

Zack Wheeler - 2,000 strikeouts

Wheeler is approaching his 2,000th strikeout, currently sitting at 1,992 for his career. The 36-year-old missed the start of this season with an injury but has since recorded 172 strikeouts across 143 1/3 innings, having made 25 starts this year. He’s in line for at least two more starts before the Phillies reach the end of the regular season, so it’d be a big surprise if he doesn’t join the 2,000 strikeout club. Only 94 pitchers in MLB history have recorded 2,000 strikeouts, and Wheeler could become the second Philadelphia starter to achieve the milestone this season after Aaron Nola did so in August.

Blake Snell - 1,500 strikeouts

MLB — Blake Snell is nine strikeouts away from 1,500 for his career. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After missing most of last season, Blake Snell is back in the Dodgers’ rotation, gearing up for another postseason run. He’s been sharp in seven starts, recording a 1.91 ERA with 51 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. He’s up to 1,491 strikeouts for his career, just nine shy of 1,500––a milestone that’s definitely achievable before the regular season concludes. Snell is the all-time leader for strikeouts per nine innings (min. 1,000 innings pitched) with 11.2, so this would be just another impressive statistic for the 33-year-old lefthander.

Carlos Rodón - 1,500 strikeouts, 100 wins

Rodón has only made 14 starts this season, but he’s been excellent when on the mound. With 78 strikeouts in 70 1/3 innings, he’s brought his career strikeout tally up to 1,487, just 13 short of the 1,500 mark. Rodón will have a few starts before the postseason gets underway, so if his stuff is working, he has a real shot at reaching the round number. Additionally, Rodón has 99 wins in his career, so he’ll be within reach of the century mark in that category, too. There are only 16 active pitchers to have reached both milestones, and Aaron Nola is the only member of that group who’s younger than Rodón.

Kenley Jansen - 500 saves

MLB — Tigers closer Kenley Jansen has 495 career saves. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kenley Jansen is third all-time with 495 career saves, and he could become the third reliever in MLB history to reach 500 if he can tack on five more this season. With 13 games left to play in the regular season, it may be difficult for him to be on the mound for five more save opportunities, but he’s still within reach of the impressive milestone. He has a long way to go to move up on the all-time saves leaderboard—Trevor Hoffman is in second place with 601.

Kyle Schwarber - 223 strikeouts

While Schwarber leads MLB with 44 home runs, he’s also treading dangerously close to setting a highly undesirable record. He’s struck out 210 times in 144 games this year, and with 12 games left in the regular season for the Phillies, he runs the risk of becoming the MLB’s all-time single-season strikeout leader. That record is owned by Mark Reynolds, who was sat down on strikes 223 times in 2009. Schwarber needs to strikeout fewer than 13 times in the final 12 games in order to avoid taking the throne from Reynolds.

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