{"id":111407,"date":"2025-12-30T23:31:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T04:31:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=111407"},"modified":"2025-12-30T23:31:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T04:31:54","slug":"mlb-most-notable-near-miss-milestones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2025\/12\/30\/mlb-most-notable-near-miss-milestones\/","title":{"rendered":"One Swing, One Pitch, One Season Short: Baseball\u2019s Greatest Near-Miss Milestones"},"content":{"rendered":"

Baseball has always been obsessed with round numbers. They act like signposts along history\u2019s highway, turning careers into shorthand: 500 home runs, 300 wins, 2,000 hits, 2,000 strikeouts, the list goes on.<\/p>\n

These MLB milestones aren\u2019t just statistics; they are cultural benchmarks that often separate legends from merely excellent players in the public imagination. Yet some of the most compelling careers in the sport\u2019s history ended just shy of those magic figures, not because of a lack of greatness, but because baseball rarely grants perfect endings.<\/p>\n

MLB’s Most Notable Near-Milestones<\/h2>\n

Dale Murphy<\/a>\u2019s career is one of the clearest examples. A two-time National League MVP and the defining face of the Atlanta Braves during the 1980s, Murphy finished with 398 career home runs. Two swings stood between him and 400, a number that would have altered countless debates about his historical standing. Murphy\u2019s prime featured the total package\u2014elite power, Gold Glove defense, and leadership during a lean era for the franchise\u2014but the absence of those two home runs often overshadows how dominant he truly was.<\/p>\n

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Oct 17, 2021; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves former player Dale Murphy throws a ceremonial first pitch before the Braves game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the 2021 NLCS at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pitchers know this cruelty even more intimately. Tommy John<\/a>, whose name is permanently attached to the surgery that changed baseball medicine forever, retired with 288 wins. In a different era, with heavier workloads and fewer bullpen games, 300 victories may have been inevitable. Instead, John became a symbol of endurance and adaptation rather than a member of an exclusive statistical club. Billy Pierce<\/a>\u2019s story cuts even sharper: he finished with 1,999 strikeouts. One strikeout\u2014one missed swing\u2014stands between him and a milestone that feels far larger than it actually is.<\/p>\n

Modern Examples<\/h3>\n

Johan Santana<\/a>\u2019s near miss reflects the fragility of brilliance. At his peak, Santana was unhittable, winning two Cy Young Awards and redefining dominance for left-handed starters in the early 2000s. Injuries shortened his career, leaving him with 1,988 strikeouts, just 12 shy of 2,000. Those missing strikeouts don\u2019t diminish how overwhelming he was when healthy, but they highlight how quickly time can close the door on even the brightest careers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alex Rodriguez<\/a>\u2019s numbers tell a more complicated story. He finished with 696 home runs, four short of 700, a plateau that once felt inevitable for one of the most talented players the game has ever seen. Suspensions and controversy<\/a> halted his pursuit, freezing his totals in a way that forever altered the perception his career. His near miss serves as a reminder that milestones are not only about ability, but also about availability, circumstance, and choices.<\/p>\n

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A-Rod\u2019s 500th and 600th homers came on the exact same day three years apart- August 4th pic.twitter.com\/jNA4LTQh7t<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 BronxBmbrz (@BronxBmbrz) January 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n