One of the most exclusive clubs in Major League Baseball history has added a new member.

Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera became the 33rd player in MLB history to reach at least 3,000 hits, accomplishing the feat with a first-inning single against Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Sentzatela in a game in Detroit on April 23. He’s the first Venezuelan player to reach the milestone and just the seventh Latino.

And hey, if you’re into exclusivity, well, here’s an even smaller club that Cabrera enters with this hit. He becomes just the seventh player in history to achieve the 3,000 hit/500 home run career combo, joining a handful of guys whose names might ring familiar – Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Rafael Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols. Pujols is the only other member of the 3,000-hit club still active.

Baseball is a game that has always held its own history in high regard. And one of the best ways to keep track of that history has been through statistical milestones, numbers that have come to act as a sort of distillation of greatness. Round numbers that represent on-field brilliance in an easy-to-understand way.

Granted, changes in the game are in turn changing these milestones. The way the game is played and the meaning of the numbers being tallied isn’t what it once was; the sabermetric revolution has altered how we look at these statistics. Still, there’s something undeniably special about those iconic career marks. While their relevance may fade someday, we’re not there yet.

All that said, we have a handful of players who are looking at potentially reaching some significant statistical thresholds during the 2022 season.

Let’s have a look at some of the big ones looming this year.

One of Major League Baseball’s most exclusive clubs just gained a member.

Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera became the 28th player in MLB history to achieve this historic milestone, hitting a 1-1 pitch from Blue Jays lefthander Steven Matz over the scoreboard in right-center field at Toronto’s Rogers Centre for a home run, his 13th of 2021.

It marks a moment that has seemed inevitable for a long time, yet the journey to get here proved a bit more interminable than anyone anticipated.

Baseball is a game that has always held its own history in high regard. And one of the best ways to keep track of that history has been through statistical milestones, numbers that have come to act as a sort of distillation of greatness. Round numbers that represent on-field brilliance in an easy-to-understand way.

Granted, changes in the game are in turn changing these milestones. The way the game is played and the meaning of the numbers being tallied isn’t what it once was; the sabermetric revolution has altered how we look at these statistics. Still, there’s something undeniably special about those iconic career marks. While their relevance may fade someday, we’re not there yet.

Here are a few milestones that might be reached in 2018:

Baseball is a game that has always held its own history in high regard. And one of the best ways to keep track of that history has been through statistical milestones, numbers that have come to act as a sort of distillation of greatness. Round numbers that represent on-field brilliance in an easy-to-understand way.

Granted, changes in the game are in turn changing these milestones. The way the game is played and the meaning of the numbers being tallied isn’t what it once was; the sabermetric revolution has altered how we look at these statistics. Still, there’s something undeniably special about those iconic career marks. While their relevance may fade someday, we’re not there yet.

Here are a few milestones that might be reached in 2018:

Predicting MLB's 2012 award winners

The 2012 Major League Baseball season is in the books. The World Series is over and the San Francisco Giants have been crowned the champions for the second time in three years. Now, 30 MLB teams get to gather round the hot stove and start planning for next year. We're looking at a few months of minor league hype, trades and free agent signings to get us through to the spring.

However, before that happens, MLB has to dish out its individual awards. Here are one man's thoughts on how that hardware might be distributed:

Detroit's Cabrera first Crown winner in 45 years

Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers had a season for the ages in 2012. He batted .330, with 44 home runs and 139 RBI, leading the American League in all three categories.

Miguel Cabrera won the Triple Crown, one of the most elusive achievements in the sport. He accomplished something that only 15 players before him had done; something that hadn't been seen in baseball in 1967 the year Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski won the Crown while playing with the Impossible Dream team 45 years ago.