Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night in a pool of sweat thinking about 2020? I constantly find myself having nightmares about 2020 and all that was lost. Seriously, how differently would we look at Albert Pujols if he passed Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron in home runs and RBIs? It isn’t
The pandemic wiped out 102 games from every team’s schedule in 2020, but it also just threw players into a loop in terms of their preparation for a season.
Seriously, when I woke up the other night, I started thinking about Albert Pujols passing Babe Ruth in home runs and if we would view his career differently.
So, I listed some other interesting stats below.
Some are players who are retired and will never hit these milestones. Others are players who are still chasing some significant milestones.
Albert Pujols: Passing Ruth and Aaron
Even without 2020, Albert Pujols finished as one of the greatest hitters of all time. But a full 2020 season might have changed baseball history.
Pujols retired with:
703 home runs (fourth all-time)
2,218 RBIs (second all-time)
But what if he had 100+ extra games in 2020?
Pujols hit 6 HR in 60 games that season. Over a full year, that projects to 16-20 homers—enough to put him past Babe Ruth's 714 HR and into the 700 Club before his farewell tour in 2022.
He also finished 79 RBIs short of Aaron’s 2,297. Even a diminished Pujols could have easily knocked in 60+ runs in an entire season, making him the all-time RBI leader in official MLB records.
Clayton Kershaw: 3,000 Strikeouts EASY
For nearly two decades, Clayton Kershaw has been the best left-handed pitcher of his era. His 2,968 strikeouts place him on the doorstep of 3,000.
And he should already be there.
In the shortened 2020 season, Kershaw still struck out 62 batters in just 10 starts. Over a regular season, he would have likely added 150-170 Ks, putting him well over 3,000 before injuries slowed him down.
Instead, he’ll enter 2025, needing one final push to reach a mark he should have already passed. Barring disaster, he will hit this mark.
Justin Verlander: 300 Wins Might Be Just Out of Reach
Justin Verlander is baseball's last great workhorse starter, but his path to 300 wins took a massive hit due to the pandemic.
Before 2020, Verlander had 225 career wins. Now, he only made one start in 2020 before needing Tommy John, which resulted in him missing all of 2021 as well. Now, I am not saying the delayed start to the season caused his Tommy John, but it is likely that it was a factor.
Without 2020 and his injury, the biggest storyline this season would be Verlander closing in on 300 wins.
Zack Greinke: 3,000 Ks & 250 Wins Might Have Been Locked In
If Zack Greinke retires without reaching 3,000 strikeouts, it’s fair to blame 2020.
He currently sits at 2,979 Ks, just 21 shy of the magic number.
Even in a mediocre season, he would have hit 3,000 with ease in 2020.
Evan Longoria: 2,000 Hits Would Have Been a Lock
Evan Longoria was a borderline Hall of Famer in his prime, and a full 2020 season might have strengthened his case.
He finished his career with 1,930 hits—just 70 short of 2,000.
He was a 120-140 hit player per season, even in his later years.
That lost season almost certainly cost him 2,000 career hits, which—while not an automatic ticket to Cooperstown—would have added weight to his case.
Madison Bumgarner: The Last Big Number He Could Have Reached
At 134 career wins, Madison Bumgarner's career stalled quickly after leaving the Giants.
But if 2020 had been a full season, he might have been closer to 150+ wins before his decline.
Ironically, his decline began in 2020, and it immediately had my brain churning to look for players whose careers fell off a cliff in 2020.
That is a blog for another day.
Giancarlo Stanton: 500 HRs Should Be a Done Deal
At his peak, Giancarlo Stanton was baseball’s most dangerous slugger. But injuries and inconsistency have slowed him down. Regardless of what Yankee fans believe, he is not a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.
Still, if he had a full 2020 season, he might already be at 450+ home runs instead of 429.
Now, at age 35, he will have two put in at least three more productive seasons to reach the 500 mark. I imagine he will, but it is not a guarantee (look at his 2023 stats.) However, if 2020 didn’t happen, there would be little debate.
Nolan Arenado: 400 HRs Should Be Way Closer
Nolan Arenado is one of the best third basemen of his era, but COVID cost him a serious shot at 400 home runs.
He’s at 341 HRs today.
A full 2020 likely means 35-40 more HRs by now, putting him around 370 HRs entering 2025.
After hitting only 16 in 2024, the 400 mark is going to be a little more difficult to reach. Let’s hope he ends up at Fenway Park…..
Paul Goldschmidt: 2,500 Hits and 400 HRs Should Have Been Easy
Paul Goldschmidt has built a sneaky-strong Hall of Fame case, but 2020 might have cost him two significant milestones.
He currently sits at 2,056 hits and 362 home runs.
That means 2,500 hits and 400 homers—two classic Hall of Fame numbers—are now tougher to reach.
Conservatively, he needs two more semi-productive seasons to reach the 400 mark. But I see no world where he can reach 2,500 at this point in his career based on his regression. If he had 2020, things would be different…..