I've been hearing quite a bit about milestones lately and how they just don't mean as much anymore. So I figured I'd take a look at some of the big milestones and see who ranks the lowest in that group, by Rally's WAR (courtesy of Baseball-Reference).
3000 Hits
| Name | Hits | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Lou Brock | 3023 | 39.1 |
| Dave Winfield | 3110 | 59.7 |
| Rafael Palmeiro | 3020 | 66.0 |
| Craig Biggio | 3060 | 66.2 |
| Eddie Murray | 3255 | 66.7 |
Lou Brock is the lowest—and by a lot. Heck, his WAR is even lower than Jim Rice. And he wasn't even feared as much as Jim Rice!
500 Home Runs
| Name | Home Runs | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Sammy Sosa | 609 | 59.7 |
| Harmon Killebrew | 573 | 61.1 |
| Mark McGwire | 583 | 63.1 |
| Gary Sheffield | 509 | 63.3 |
| Ernie Banks | 512 | 64.4 |
There's no Lou Brock on this list. These guys were all legit monsters. Sure the 500 Home Run club has grown lately. But it's welcomed some of the greatest power hitters of all time.
300 Wins
| Name | Wins | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Early Wynn | 300 | 52.0 |
| Mickey Welch | 307 | 56.5 |
| Tom Glavine | 305 | 67.0 |
| Pud Galvin | 365 | 70.5 |
| Don Sutton | 324 | 70.8 |
Wynn also has the lowest ERA+ of the group (107). Worth noting is that only 78 pitchers in history have 50+ WAR (Andy Pettitte just joined the group) while 168 position players have accomplished the feat.
3000 Strikeouts
| Name | Strikeouts | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| John Smoltz | 3084 | 63.9 |
| Curt Schilling | 3116 | 69.7 |
| Don Sutton | 3574 | 70.8 |
| Pedro Martinez | 3154 | 75.9 |
| Fergie Jenkins | 3192 | 81.3 |
Only 16 players in history have done this, and this is an incredibly exclusive group. Each of these pitchers is among the top 38 all time by WAR.
300 Saves
| Name | Saves | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Todd Jones | 319 | 11.1 |
| Jose Mesa | 321 | 11.4 |
| Randy Myers | 347 | 16.9 |
| Robb Nen | 314 | 17.0 |
| Troy Percival | 358 | 18.1 |
Remember when 300 saves was a big deal? If there's one milestone that's been cheapened, it's this one. Also, if pitchers have lower WAR compared with hitters, relief pitchers are even lower. It's tough to pick up value an inning at a time. Especially when you threw 1549 innings with an ERA+ of 101 (like Mesa did).
So what's your view on milestones?