#MLB records that could be broken in shortened 2020 season

Could someone hit .400 again?

The highest batting average in the live-ball era is .424, by Rogers Hornsby in 1924. But it would be historic if someone hit .400, which no player has done since Ted Williams finished at .406 in 1941. Tony Gwynn looked ready to make a run at Williams’ mark in 1994. He was hitting .394 when the players’ strike ended the season on Aug. 11. The all-time record is .440, set in 1894 by Hugh Duffy. Despite the abbreviated season in 2020, those numbers seem safe, as batting average is no longer the barometer for success it once was. Jeff McNeil admitted hitting .400 was something that was on his radar in an abbreviated season, but there’s no Gwynn or Ichiro who seems poised to make a run at the number.

Is Bob Gibson’s ERA record in danger?

In 1968, Bob Gibson had a 1.12 ERA. He was so dominant, it helped prompt MLB to lower the mound by 5 inches following the next season in order to give hitters a fair chance. While Gibson holds the modern record, Tim Keefe had an ERA of 0.86 in 105 innings in 1880. While it’s unlikely anyone challenges Gibson, Jack Flaherty of the Cardinals had a 0.91 ERA in 99 ¹/₃ innings in the second half of 2019.

On-base/slugging percentage

These appear safe, unless Barry Bonds comes back in his prime this year. In 2001, Bonds had a slugging percentage of .863, and three years later the steroid-tainted slugger finished with an on-base percentage of .609. By comparison, Christian Yelich led the majors with a .671 slugging percentage last year, while Mike Trout had an MLB-high .438 OBP.

Will a team set the record for winning percentage?

The 2001 Mariners have the best winning percentage in a 162-game schedule (.716), and only two teams since MLB went to 162 games have finished with a winning percentage of more than .700 (’01 Mariners and 1998 Yankees). The 1954 Indians had a .721 winning percentage (111-43), while the 1906 Cubs went 116-36 (.763). The unbalanced schedule, with teams playing only within their division and the corresponding division in the opposing league, could play a role in making a run at this mark. For instance, the Yankees don’t have to leave their time zone during the regular season, and by playing only teams in the East, will avoid the Astros, A’s and Twins. And with the Red Sox expected to have a down year, that’s one divisional opponent that shouldn’t be as difficult to deal with as in most years.

How about losing percentage?

With the Cleveland Indians considering a name change, the Cleveland Spiders have reentered the conversation. Maybe Cleveland doesn’t want to recall the 1899 version of the Spiders, who went 20-134 for a .130 winning percentage. The 1962 Mets have the modern-era record for futility, going 40-120 (.250) in their inaugural season. Regardless of how bad some teams might look in 2020, no one seems ready to be that bad.