America’s favorite pastime, baseball, is famous for its rich history, great players, and their records. Many achievements come and go, but some have cemented their place in the history of this sport. This article is a shout-out to 15 MLB records that have transcended eras and are still appreciated by fans worldwide.
Cy Young: 511 Career Wins
Cy Young’s MLB legacy is unmatched, with 511 career wins and 749 complete games. His remarkable records include five seasons with 30+ wins and fifteen with 20+. It was an era when pitchers routinely finished games. These feats remain a towering benchmark for pitching excellence, rarely approached by today’s players.
Cal Ripken: Streak of 2,632 Games
Cal Ripken Jr.’s “Iron Man” streak is legendary. He not only broke Lou Gehrig’s record but continued for three more seasons. Ripken played through severe injuries, including a twisted knee, ankle issues, and even a broken nose. His streak of 2,632 games dwarfs Miguel Tejada’s 1,152 games and Steve Garvey’s NL record of 1,207 games.
Connie Mack: 3,948 Losses As Manager
Ownership, investors, executives, and fans have little patience for losing. If a team isn’t winning, changes must be made quickly. That’s why no manager will ever approach Connie Mack’s record of 3,948 losses, though he also holds the most wins (3,731) after managing 49 seasons straight.
Nolan Ryan: 5,714 Strikeouts
Widely considered one of the greatest pitchers, “The Express” was known for his legendary fastball. Over his 27-year MLB career, he set the strikeout record with 5,714, far ahead of Randy Johnson’s 4,875. Ryan also holds the No-Hitter record with seven, surpassing Sandy Koufax’s four.
Rickey Henderson: 1,406 Stolen Bases
Rickey Henderson’s legacy shines with his record-breaking 1,406 stolen bases, far surpassing Lou Brock’s 938. In 1982, he stole 130 bases, second only to Hugh Nicol’s 138 in 1887. Henderson also is the record holder for most runs scored, crossing home plate 2,295 times in his career.
Barry Bonds: 2,558 Walks
Throughout his 22-year career, Barry Bonds shattered records that still stand, making opposing pitchers fear his incredible skill. He remains the only player in MLB history with seven MVP awards. His 2,558 career walks, including 688 intentional, is a record unlikely ever to be beaten.
Chief Wilson: 36 Triples in a Season
Chief Wilson is remarked for his 1911 record of 36 triples in a single season, something that has stood for over a century. This rare achievement highlights his exceptional speed and skill, especially in the expansive outfields of the time, like Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. Wilson’s feat remains one of MLB’s most enduring records.
Joe DiMaggio: 56 Consecutive Games with a hit
DiMaggio’s hitting streak began on May 15, 1941, against the Chicago White Sox and continued until July 17 in Cleveland, totaling 56 consecutive games with a hit. This record surpassed George Sisler’s 41 and Willie Keeler’s 44. Since then, only Pete Rose has come close, with a 44-game streak in 1978.
Hank Aaron: 6,856 Total Bases
Hank Aaron was a powerhouse in MLB, holding the career home run record of 755 for 33 years until Barry Bonds surpassed it. He remains the all-time leader in total bases with 6,856—a mark that’s hard to beat. Additionally, Aaron holds records for the most RBIs (2,297), extra-base hits (1,477), and consecutive seasons with 150+ hits (17).
Hack Wilson: 191 RBIs in One Season
Driving in runs is a context-dependent statistic in baseball. In 1930, Wilson had an exceptional year with a .356/.454/.723 line and 56 home runs, aided by an extremely offensive environment and excellent table-setters Kiki Cuyler and Woody English. Though impressive, Manny Ramirez’s 165 RBIs in 1999 still fell short of Wilson’s record.
Bob Shaw: 5 Balks In One Game
Balks are rare in baseball, with about 150 occurring each season since 2000 across 2,430 games. Yet, in 1963, Bob Shaw made history by balking five times in a single game for the Braves against the Cubs. Nowadays, many fans struggle to even define a balk due to evolving rules.
Ichiro Suzuki: 262 hits In A Single Season
Since joining the MLB in 2001, Ichiro Suzuki has set several records, including a single-season high of 262 hits in 2004, surpassing George Sisler’s 1920 record of 257. Additionally, he achieved over 200 hits for ten straight seasons, a feat unmatched in MLB history.
Tris Speaker: 792 Career Doubles
Tristram Speaker is undeniably one of baseball’s all-time greats, amassing 792 doubles over his 22-year career with the Cleveland Indians, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Athletics. Pete Rose is the closest to his record, with 746 doubles in 24 years.
Pete Rose: 4,256 Career Hits
In 1985, Pete Rose broke Ty Cobb’s career hits record of 4,192, finishing with 4,256 hits—the only player to surpass 4,000. Rose led the league in hits for seven seasons, just one short of Cobb’s record. He achieved this with the Cincinnati Reds, the Philadelphia Phillies, and briefly with the Montreal Expos.
Walter Johnson: 110 Shutouts
The legendary Washington Senators pitcher often hailed as the greatest right-handed pitcher ever, dominated Major League Baseball for 21 seasons and set an almost unbeatable record with 110 shutout games. He was among the original five Hall of Famers, known as “The Immortals,” alongside icons like Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth.