There’s little doubt that records will fall during the 2025 MLB season.
Look no further than Opening Day this past Thursday at Nationals Park in Washington. All Nationals’ starter MacKenzie Gore did was pitch himself into the record books while tossing 6 impressive innings. Although Washington took a 7–3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, it was Gore’s performance that was the talk of the day. By striking out 13 Phillies, and not giving up a walk or run (Phils only had one hit off of Gore), the four-year pro joined Hall of Famer Bob Gibson as the only other pitcher to turn in such a historic performance on Game 1 of a regular season.
Perhaps the best part of being a baseball fan is following records. More than any of the other three major professional sports in North America, baseball is identified by recognizing its most iconic statistics. Barry Bonds’s 762 home runs, Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 strikeouts, and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson’s 1,406 stolen bases lead the records’ parade of accomplishments that are all but unapproachable by MLB players in the foreseeable future. However, the abundantly talented American and National Leagues have numerous players knocking on the doors of several milestones this season.
Batting. Starting the season with the San Diego Padres, Luis Arraez is in pursuit of a fourth consecutive batting title. Starting with collecting the American League crown in 2022 with the Minnesota Twins, Arraez was traded to the National League’s Miami Marlins prior to the 2023 season. After winning his second consecutive batting title with the Marlins, last season with the Padres, Arraez made it a three-peat. The last time MLB had a player win four consecutive batting crowns was Hall of Famer Wade Boggs (1985–1988), then with the Boston Red Sox.
Watch the number of strikeouts registered this season by Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, two future pitchers headed for Cooperstown in retirement.
Verlander, 42, signed by the San Francisco Giants this past off-season, is in his 2oth MLB campaign. He starts the season with 3,416 strikeouts—good for 10th place on the all-time leaders list. Remaining healthy, Verlander should breeze past Hall of Famer Walter Johnson, currently in ninth place at 3,508 strikeouts. Then, eighth place is obtainable, where Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry currently sits in the record books with 3,534 punch outs. Verlander leads all active MLB hurlers with 262 wins.
As for Scherzer, Verlander’s former teammate in Detroit and New York with the Mets, he is starting the 2025 season with the Toronto Blue Jays. Scherzer is 11th on the all-time strikeout list, at 3,407—just nine behind Verlander. This has all the makings of a friendly, yet highly competitive tussle in the making. Stay tuned.
Just how good are the Los Angeles Dodgers?
Many “insiders” are not only picking the Dodgers to win a second World Series title in as many seasons, but are also predicting that manager Dave Roberts’s crew eclipses the Seattle Mariners’ 2001 record 116-win season. From 2021–2023, the Dodgers won 100 or more games, and came within two victories in 2024 of making it four consecutive seasons of reaching the century mark. Coming away with the World Series championship in 2024 surely makes up for a 98-win season.
Staying with the Dodgers, their once pitching ace Clayton Kershaw, 37, apparently still has gas in his tank. Due to injuries, Kershaw made only seven starts in 2024, but, deciding to return for an 18th season with Los Angeles, Kershaw should join the exclusive 3,000 strikeout club at some point this season. Currently on the injured shelf with a toe issue, he will be just 32 strikeouts short of 3,000 when he does return to the mound. The former three-time Cy Young Award winner is now 21st on the all-time strikeout list.
Look no further than the American League Central and the Kansas City Royals to find one of the brightest stars in the game. Royals’ All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. displays off-the-chart excitement in his game, both offensively and defensively. For the past three seasons, Witt Jr. has stolen 30-plus bases, and over the past two seasons, slugged 30-plus home runs. Shooting for three consecutive 30/30 seasons is a lofty goal and to date, accomplished by only one person in MLB history—Barry Bonds. Royals fans are in for a really fun summer.
Tommy Pham is starting the 2025 MLB season as a Pittsburgh Pirate. Odds are, come trade deadline in July, Pham will be sent packing to a team contending for postseason play, should Pittsburgh be out of contention.
Over the past 12 seasons, Pham has played for 10 different MLB clubs. The record held for a player competing for MLB clubs is 14—earned by former pitcher Edwin Jackson. In the game from 2003–2019, Jackson pitched in 412 games over a 17-year period. Pham has traveled from club to club over a 1,124-game span. Rich Hill, who pitched for the Boston Red Sox last season, has worn 13 different MLB uniforms over a 20-season career
Cincinnati Reds’ new skipper Terry Francona is close to making history, after taking last season off.
Twenty-four seasons in the dugout, Francona begins the 2025 season in 13th place in managerial wins, just 58 victories behind Hall of Famer Leo Durocher. With 1,950 wins to his credit while guiding three clubs prior to his stop with the Reds, collecting 58 wins could be accomplished by July’s All-Star break. After settling in 12th place among MLB’s winningest managers, next up then for Francona, 11th place, which is currently occupied by Hall of Famer Walter Alston.
Records come and go, but the excitement created in the moment that they are accomplished remains forever.
