MLB: Some records that will probably never be broken in the Major Leagues

The phrase “records are made to be broken” it is almost as old as those same brands. But in baseball, some accomplishments really do make you think no one can break them. Johnny Vander Meer, the second of whom arrived on June 15, 1938, is one of those milestones.

Joe DiMaggio’s 56 straight hitting games is probably the most famous of the “unbreakable” marks, but his .357 batting average in 1941 suggests that — given the circumstances — a high-average, walk-short hitter might come close to “Joltin’ Joe.”

How that player would handle all the media scrutiny as he approaches the mythical 56 is another story, of course. With Vander Meer and DiMaggio In mind, here are another handful of modern records that seem untouchable:

Ichiro’s 262 hits in 2004

Breaking the record for hits in a season would require a rare combination of consistency, chances and contact ability, something increasingly rare in modern baseball. Additionally, Ichiro racked up 704 at-bats in 2004, one of just four players in history with more than 700 at-bats in a season. So to break that record, you’d have to hit .373 and use up 700 official at-bats. Good luck.

Nolan Ryan’s 5,714 strikeouts and 2,795 walks

Even in today’s baseball, with more and more strikeouts, it’s hard to imagine anyone pitching as fiercely and for as long as it takes to catch up with Ryan. Nolan Ryan played for 27 seasons in the Major Leagues in which he also pitched seven hitless, runless games.

Rickey Henderson’s 1,406 lifetime robberies and 130 robberies in 1982

Baseball is a game of cycles, but for now, it’s hard to believe that stolen bases will ever again take on the relevance they had in Henderson’s day. The last player to attempt to steal 130 bases in a season was Vince Coleman in 1985, and the 33-year-old Dee Strange-Gordon was the active leader in stolen bases after the 2021 season with just 333.

Hack Wilson’s 191 RBIs in 1930

While there’s no question that Wilson had a season to remember in 1930 (.356/.454/.723 with 56 home runs), he also played in an extremely offensive environment (six players drove in more than 150 runs that year, a record). and he had a couple of on-base machines ahead of him in Kiki Cuyler (.428 PEB) and Woody English (.430). Manny Ramirez’s 165 RBIs in 1999 are the closest attempt to get close to Wilson, but he still fell short.

Chief Wilson’s 36 triples in 1912

Wilson would never hit half the triples he hit that historic year again, reminding us how difficult it would be to repeat such a season. Rockies center fielder Charlie Blackmon’s 14 3-pointers were the most in either league in 2017, a year in which fewer 3-pointers were hit than ever before in major league history. No one hit more than eight triples in 2021.

Barry Bonds’ 232 Tickets in 2004

With the kind of power that could persuade opposing managers to intentionally walk him in the first inning or with the bases loaded, no one has tested the limits of statistics like Bonds. To put things in context, the only other player with at least 170 walks in a season is Babe Ruth in 1923.