5 potential career milestones affected by MLB’s shortened season

3. Robinson Cano — 3,000 career hits

Following the 2017 season with the Seattle Mariners, Robinson Cano seemed like a sure bet he would join the prestigious 3,000 hits club. At the age of 35, Cano stood at 2,376 career hits and looked destined to surpass the 3,000 hits figure by a significant margin.

But after back-to-back seasons marred with a reputation-damaging PED suspension and multiple stints to the injury list, the likelihood that Cano attains this milestone is far from a guarantee now. He currently ranks 92nd all-time in hits with 2,570.

Cano is heading into this season healthy and ready to go — a good sign for the New York Mets. He is slated to pick up some playing time as the designated hitter, which could help him rack up more at-bats to keep him fresh as the season progresses. Going by Fangraphs’ steamer projections, Cano is estimated to accumulate 47 hits over 45 games. Thus, Cano would then need to get at least 128 hits over each of the final three years of the 10-year deal he signed with the Mariners in order to reach 3,000.

For a player of Cano’s hitting prowess, averaging 128 hits over three seasons can be a feasible feat for him. It will all come down to health for the eight-time All-Star.

If Cano can add this milestone to his list of career achievements, it will go a long way in his candidacy for the Baseball Hall of Fame.