With the approach of the 2026 Major League Baseball season, projections based on FanGraphs’ Steamer model suggest several players may reach historic milestones.
Juan Soto is projected to achieve a .413 on-base percentage, which would be the highest in the National League and second only to Aaron Judge’s .417 across MLB. This performance would mark his ninth consecutive season with at least a .395 OBP, placing him among legends such as Ted Williams, Stan Musial, and Ferris Fain. Soto is also expected to record 34 home runs and 117 walks. “His five such seasons already are tied with Jim Thome and Lou Gehrig for fourth most in a career, behind only Barry Bonds (13 seasons), Babe Ruth (10) and Williams (nine).”
Shohei Ohtani continues to make history as a two-way player. In 2026, he is projected for 43 home runs and 136 pitching strikeouts. According to records, “there’s only one player in MLB history to have more than 15 home runs as a hitter and more than 30 strikeouts as a pitcher in a season: Ohtani,” having achieved this multiple times before.
Paul Skenes is anticipated to lead the NL in ERA for the second year running with a projected 2.92 ERA and also top the league with 237 strikeouts. He could become the youngest pitcher since Clayton Kershaw in 2012 to lead his league in ERA in back-to-back seasons before turning 25.
Tarik Skubal may secure his third straight AL ERA title with projections indicating an MLB-leading 2.81 ERA and tying for most wins at 14. Achieving leadership or co-leadership in wins, strikeouts, and ERA would earn him another Triple Crown—an accomplishment rare since earned runs became official statistics.
Aaron Judge is forecasted to tie Ohtani for the MLB lead with 43 home runs while maintaining a wRC+ of 172. If he surpasses projections by two homers, it would be his fifth season reaching at least 45 home runs—a feat accomplished by only seven players historically.
Kyle Schwarber is predicted to hit exactly 40 home runs this season. Since joining the Phillies, he has amassed significant power numbers; if he meets this projection, he will have hit over 225 homers during his first five years with Philadelphia—a tally rivaled only by Babe Ruth’s start with the Yankees.
For Corbin Carroll, José Ramírez, and Bobby Witt Jr., each are close contenders for membership in baseball’s exclusive “30/30 club,” which requires at least thirty home runs and stolen bases each within one season. Carroll leads all players with ten projected triples—his third such campaign—which would set an MLB record.
Cal Raleigh is expected to notch his fourth season as primary catcher hitting at least thirty homers—a distinction previously achieved by Mike Piazza (nine times), Johnny Bench, and Roy Campanella.
Luis Arraez could win another batting title after leading three different teams over three consecutive years—a unique achievement according to Elias Sports Bureau—and potentially claim this honor again depending on where he signs as a free agent.
These projections highlight several possible historical achievements across both leagues as anticipation builds ahead of Opening Day.
