The Phillies have an impressive list of stars nearing career milestones in 2024

The beginning of a new baseball season is a rare time of optimism for fans of all 32 Major League Baseball clubs. Philadelphia Phillies fans are no different as they hope to see the boys of summer put together another solid run and make a third consecutive trip to the postseason — and beyond.

One of the most enjoyable parts of being a baseball fan is watching players hit career milestones and, like Michael Lorenzen did last year when he pitched a no-hitter, add themselves into the history books with a one-of-a-kind performance. Few sports have the type of love affair with cumulative statistical markers like the game of baseball.

In addition to Lorenzen's no-hitter last season, a few other Phillies achieved career milestones. On May 26, former relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel recorded his 400th career save, a feat only accomplished by eight pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball.

On Aug. 30, Bryce Harper hit career home run no. 300 off Matt Moore of the Los Angeles Angels and joined an impressive list of 158 current and former players to reach that mark in a career. In a few seasons, the buzz of Harper hitting his 400th home run is sure to be a fun thing to watch.

A new season brings new milestones for a few Phillies players

As we await the official start of the regular season in just over one week, a handful of Phillies players are likely to add to some already impressive career numbers here in 2024. While baseball is a team game, accomplishments at the individual level help us define the type of players we watch day in and day out. Here are a few narratives for Phillies fans to follow during the new season.

Kyle Schwarber: 250 Home Runs

Entering the season, Kyle Schwarber is only four home runs away from belting 250 in his career. Given Schwarber's immense power, a 54-home run season isn't out of the realm of possibility, and that would allow him to join teammate Bryce Harper in the 300-home run club.

Bryce Harper: 1,000 runs and 1,000 walks

Speaking of Harper, he's also likely to hit two more milestones in his remarkable career. The two-time NL MVP is only three runs away from 1,000, and that's a mark he should hit during the first few weeks of the season. If Harper is able to draw 41 walks this season (he had 80 in 2024), he'll also reach 1,000 for his career. That should happen sometime in the middle of the season.

Aaron Nola & Zack Wheeler: 100 wins
Zack Wheeler: 1,500 strikeouts

Two Phillies aces will try to reach the 100-career win mark in 2024. Aaron Nola is currently 10 wins away from this milestone, while teammate Zack Wheeler needs 13 wins to reach 100 career wins. In addition to reaching 100 wins, Wheeler is also 99 strikeouts away from 1,500. Having compiled 200-plus strikeouts in two out of his last three seasons, a healthy Wheeler should hit that milestone by mid-season.

These are a few neat things to watch out for when the Phillies take the field in late March. Every season rides a narrative arc, and these are a few cool milestones we all hope to see in 2024.