Baseball Records A-Rod Now Will Never Break

Finally, Major League Baseball has suspended polarizing slugger Alex Rodriguez, announcing a 211-game ban that takes effect Thursday and lasts through the end of the 2014 season. Missing all that playing time—which, because he's appealing, could spill into 2015—makes it clear that he will never break several significant records.

Even if A-Rod had achieved any of the following feats, the baseball world wouldn't have been particularly thrilled. He admitted to using PEDs from 2001-03, so his career numbers aren't seen as completely legitimate.

However, the Biogenesis scandal is teaching us that banned substances were disseminated to a disturbingly large number of players in recent years. As much as the league hates to acknowledge it, 21st-century MLB competition has been greatly affected by Tony Bosch's operation and others similar to it. Rodriguez cheated, but so did many of his peers.

More so than anything else, MLB commissioner Bud Selig and the New York Yankees take offense to A-Rod's dishonesty and disrespect of their authority. That's why they'll be relieved to see him fall short of claiming these distinctions.

*All stats provided by FanGraphs unless otherwise noted and accurate as of Aug. 5.

Most Career Strikeouts

Record Holder: Reggie Jackson — 2,597

Alex Rodriguez's Total: 2,032 (fifth on all-time list)

The Seattle Mariners rushed A-Rod to the majors as a teenager, so he understandably whiffed often at the beginning of his career.

Rodriguez only improved marginally in that regard when given a full-time role. From 1996 through 2011, he struck out about once every six plate appearances, and he cracked the American League's top 10 in total strikeouts annually from 2003-06.

When last seen in an MLB uniform, the much-maligned third baseman was showing blatant signs of decline. His strikeout rate reflected that.

He went down on strikes 116 times in 529 plate appearances in 2012. Sustaining that in a starting role through the expiration of his contract in 2017—even when accounting for a few trips to the disabled list—would have easily led Rodriguez past Jackson.

Now, it's doubtful that he'll get enough opportunities, especially if the New York Yankees use him selectively against left-handed pitching from 2015 onward.

Although the strikeout record would give us an excuse to laugh at A-Rod's expense, the fewer reminders of his career, the better.

MLB Star Who Now Has the Best Shot at This Record

Considering that strikeouts are becoming increasingly common in Major League Baseball, there could be a handful of names ahead of A-Rod within the next couple decades.

Adam Dunn won't make us wait. With 2,156 for his career and enough offensive production to justify an everyday job, the large left-handed swinger could seize the No. 1 spot by late 2015.

MLB Star Who Now Has the Best Shot at This Record

Most Career Runs Batted In

Record Holder: Hank Aaron — 2,297 

Alex Rodriguez's Total: 1,950 (seventh on all-time list)

Runs batted in on its own is an insignificant stat, but you don't get as many as A-Rod has without being a superb offensive player for an extended period of time.

In both 2002 and 2007, Rodriguez led the majors in that department. He has 14 career seasons of at least 100 RBI, which is an all-time record. As recently as 2011, his run production on a per-game basis rivaled that of other All-Stars.

With all that said, there's no hope of A-Rod catching Aaron.

Let's say he does see consistent playing time after serving his suspension. The combination of his teammates' deteriorating skills and potential retirements/departures makes you wonder who exactly will be in scoring position for him.

MLB Star Who Now Has the Best Shot at This Record

With Prince Fielder serving as an intimidating presence behind him, Miguel Cabrera (1,222 RBI) will continue to see great pitches to hit. So as long as his hip issues don't linger beyond this season, the Triple Crown winner might not hang up his cleats for another dozen years.

As John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press details, Cabrera and Aaron were similarly productive prior to their 30th birthdays (subscription required). Moreover, the Detroit Tigers star has a 1.167 OPS and 82 RBI in 87 games since turning the big three-oh, per Baseball-Reference.com.

Most Career Wins Above Replacement Among Third Basemen

Record Holder: Mike Schmidt — 106.5 WAR

Alex Rodriguez's Total: 110.7 WAR (considered shortstop)

A-Rod only shifted to the hot corner upon arriving in the Bronx in 2004.

He has actually spent the majority of his career—1,272 of 2,524 games (50.4 percent)—at shortstop. For a tortured soul who went to desperate lengths to become the best ever, it must be maddening to see himself classified as such. Honus Wagner and his 138.1 WAR are hopelessly out of reach.

On the other hand, Rodriguez's overall value already exceeds Schmidt's or that of any other third baseman in baseball history. He would need to play 111 more games at that position to make his conversion official in the record books.

Easier said than done if this suspension holds up.

A-Rod will play the 2015 season as a 39-year-old. Only 12 players at that age or older have even totaled 50 games at third base in a season, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Most of them were forced into action without the option to serve as designated hitter, or they had extraordinary defensive aptitude to justify regular usage.

Those circumstances don't match A-Rod's. The New York Yankees could easily develop/acquire a long-term third baseman in his absence, anyway.

MLB Stars Who Now Have the Best Shot at This Record

Adrian Beltre (63.6 WAR) would probably need to put in another decade of service to overtake Schmidt. That's not likely for someone who turned 34 in April.

Evan Longoria (34.1 WAR) has accomplished a lot before his 28th birthday, but the recurrence of lower-body injuries suggests he won't have the necessary longevity.

Although he doesn't yet have a full major league season under his belt, Manny Machado is emerging as a sabermetric star. The defensive skills that made him a can't-miss shortstop prospect help him save runs at third base, too.

He has contributed 6.1 WAR through only 163 games and could have another couple decades left in the league.

Most Career Home Runs

Record Holder: Barry Bonds — 762

Alex Rodriguez's Total: 647 (fifth on all-time list)

Bonds became the home run king—or rather, the home run king*—in 2007. That same summer, Rodriguez launched his 500th career round-tripper at just 32 years of age.

Many believed that all his work had been legitimate, and that he would inevitably surpass Bonds.

The following winter, A-Rod re-signed with the New York Yankees for another decade with his career total up to 518. Averaging 25 homers per season for the entirety of the contract would get him to the mountaintop. That seemed extremely doable for an MVP-caliber player who never seriously suffered from injury.

Funny how things change.

Spending time on the disabled list—primarily due to knee and hip problems—became an annual tradition of his. Moreover, A-Rod's slugging percentage has steadily plummeted from .645 in '07 to only .430 last year. To put the decline in perspective, he and Seth Smith of the Oakland Athletics posted a virtually identical OPS+ during the 2012 season.

The trend suggests that his failing body probably doesn't have another 116 home runs in it. Missing significant time in the near future will eliminate any slim chance he had of smashing No. 763.

MLB Star Who Now Has the Best Shot at This Record

Every active player is an underdog to surpass Bonds, but Albert Pujols is less so than his peers. His career total of 492 ranks 28th all time.

After a dozen consecutive campaigns with at least 30 bombs, Pujols has been plagued by foot problems in 2013. Fortunately, he tells Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times that the pain in his partially torn plantar fascia has subsided and that's he anxious to play once the walking boot comes off later this month. That means there's still an outside possibility of him reaching 500 in September, just one year later than A-Rod did.

The Los Angeles Angels have signed Pujols through 2021. If they start him regularly until then and he maintains his lifetime home run rate while avoiding major injuries, the first baseman could ascend atop the all-time list before the contract expires. More realistically, the three-time National League MVP could re-sign with L.A. or find work elsewhere in his early forties to close in on the milestone.

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