Milestones to look out for in 2024 MLB season: Kershaw could reach 3000 K's in Dodger blue

Three-time National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw will remain a Los Angeles Dodger in 2024. After much speculation among MLB fans on whether or not Kershaw would be brought back for a 17th year in Chavez Ravine, Kershaw re-signed with Los Angeles despite Kershaw going through shoulder surgery in November 2023.

At the very best, Kershaw will return to the team in the second half of the 2024 season, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Kershaw is just 56 strikeouts away from reaching 3,000 for his career. His injuries may, unfortunately, keep him off the field long enough to prevent him from reaching that milestone. However, even if Kershaw can't reach 3,000 K's this season, there is still a multitude of career milestones that could be achieved this season. Here are some of the best.

MLB milestones for 2024 season

Clayton Kershaw 3,000 strikeouts

Since we were talking about this anyway, we might as well start with it.

Kershaw needs just 56 strikeouts to reach 3,000 for his career. Accomplishing this feat this season would make Kershaw just the 20th pitcher to reach that mark, and just the third (Walter Johnson and Bob Gibson) to do so with only one team. He would also be just the fourth southpaw (Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton, and C.C. Sabathia) to join the club.

If we assume Kershaw pitches the entirety of the second half, Kershaw would likely reach this milestone. However, that's a bold assumption. Even if Kershaw returns at the start of the second half, he'd have to remain healthy for its entirety. Kershaw has not pitched more than 60 innings in the second half of each of the last three full seasons. While Kershaw has averaged over a strikeout per inning pitched in each of his last five seasons, the shoulder surgery could take something away from Kershaw and he may not be able to strike out as many players as he used to. One per inning may not be enough if Kershaw cannot stay healthy.

Evan Longoria 2,000 hits

From one franchise legend to another, longtime Tampa Bay Ray and member of the 2023 NL pennant-winning Arizona Diamondbacks, Evan Longoria is just 70 hits away from 2,000 for his career. Longoria would be the 27th third baseman to accomplish this feat and the first since recent Hall of Fame inductee Adrian Beltre accomplished it in 2014.

Unfortunately for Longoria, the 38-year-old has not reached 70 hits in a season since 2019. In all fairness, he hasn't played 90 games in a season once in that stretch either. With Longoria still looking for a team to play for in 2024, his odds seem very slim. Just a few days ago, Longoria told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times that he is undecided on his future. It would be a shame for Longoria to hang up his cleats this close to 2,000 hits, but given Longoria's age and the fact that he would be going out as a member of a pennant winning team could be the exit Longoria is looking for.

Paul Goldschmidt 2,000 hits

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is just 91 hits away from 2,000. Unlike Longoria, Goldschmidt has been very healthy and still playing at a productive level recently.

Although Goldschmidt is fresh off the worst season of his career, he still racked up 159 hits in 2023. Goldschmidt is also just a season removed from a National League MVP, and even during his down season, he still recorded a 120 OPS+. He's still has tons of production left in him and has the capability to bounce back from a subpar 2023. With no one in the Cardinals' system ready to take over the first base position either, Goldschmidt's journey to 2,000 hits should come to an end this season, barring injury of course.

Andrew McCutchen 300 home runs

Here's arguably the biggest gimme on this list. While every other milestone here has some potential to fall apart, McCutchen needs just one home run to reach 300 for his career.

Although McCutchen is 37 years old, he hasn't had a single season with fewer than ten home runs ever. Even in 2019 when he played just 59 games, McCutchen still smacked double digit dingers. Even in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, McCutchen still had ten. Barring a season-ending injury within the first five games of the season, McCutchen should have no issue reaching 300 homers.

Anthony Rizzo 300 home runs

Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo currently sits at 295 career home runs. He needs five in order to reach the coveted 300. Barring an injury, Rizzo, much like McCutchen, should have no trouble reaching 300 this year. Rizzo has smashed at least 11 home runs in every season since 2012.

Joey Votto 1,500 walks

Arguably the coolest milestone of the bunch, longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto is just 135 walks away from reaching 1,500 for his career. This milestone would make Votto just the 19th player in MLB history to accomplish this feat.

Votto, 40, is unfortunately still a free agent though and his status as a big leaguer may be in jeopardy for 2024. Even if Votto were to play a full season with whatever team picks him up, Votto does not have the plate discipline he used to have. There was a time where 135 walks seemed like a legitimate possibility for Votto. After all, he walked to first base at least 134 in three of five seasons between 2013 and 2017. However, Votto hasn't even reached 100 walks in a season since 2019. Votto's production has also dropped tremendously, posting an OPS+ under 100 in each of the last two seasons. With health, production, and age all concerns for teams, it's not only unlikely Votto reaches 1,500 career walks, but it's a serious possibility he doesn't record any more at all.

Reports from early January hinted that there were still some teams interested in signing the former MVP, but nearly a month later, nothing has changed.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kershaw, Longoria, Goldschmidt: MLB milestones to look out for in 2024