For a guy who only started 47 games from the 2006 – 2009 years, has defied all odds to be one of the most durable pitchers in the last 5 years, posting a record of 65 – 51, while lugging 147 Game Starts. His career renaissance has enabled him to become the Active Leader in Pitcher Wins (218) and Shutouts (13). He will turn 43 in late May next season. Some team will probably have him in their rotation.

Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21

Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports

While surfing through some stats the other day I came to the realization of a few things.  Tim Hudson or CC Sabathia were no longer the active Wins Leader for Pitchers, and Bartolo Colon was.

Furthermore, Colon also holds the active record for Shutouts for throwers at just (13) – which is the same total  Bob Gibson put up in one season for the Cards in 1968.  A year that concluded with the MLB deciding to lower the mound.

At 218 wins, there is no way Colon will ever achieve 300 wins.  It is ultimately too bad he lost the greater part of every year from 2006 – 2009 – only making 47 injury riddled starts.  He only managed 14 victories in those said starts.

Mark Buehrle has been a consummate professional in his 3 years with the Jays. with a workman like 603 IP in his 3 campaigns, he held a 40 – 28 record, with a 3.78 ERA and 1.315 WHIP in a tough AL East. The soon to be 37 Year Old LHP is a Free Agent – and has indicated he may retire.

Mark Buerhle is the active ALL – Time leader for Innings Pitched for the Majors at 3283.1 IP.  The problem is that he suggested retirement already – even though he has put up double digit winning years every season since 2001.

For the record, Buerhle also holds the active mark for Losses by a Pitcher at 160.

Sabathia looked he might have had a chance to chase 300 victories a few years ago.  At Age 32, he held 205 Wins and plays for the NY Yankees.  But injuries and personal problems have caught up to him.  He has only mustered 9 victories over the last 2 years.

Sabathia also has battled weight and knee problems recently, so it is looking less that he will ever be higher than a #5 pitcher ever again.

Looking down the list of the top 10 list here, all are north of 30, and most of them will not have much of a chance to challenge even the higher mark of the 200’s in wins.

Felix Hernandez is 2 years older than Kershaw, and has a 29 victory advantage on him at 143 Wins, however he has already thrown 2262 Career Innings, and he plays in Seattle – which likely means it will be tougher to win. I think Hernandez will be able to pitch into his mid 30’s only, and may end up somewhere in the 250 – 270 win range at the end of his career.

The lone exception on the list may be Felix Hernandez.  At just Age 30 to start the next campaign, Hernandez may have a shot to take a run it – provided he can keep pitching into his early 40’s.

The ‘King’ has already lugged 2262.1 IP in his career, and I am a little doubtful that with that many pitches in his career already that he will challenge 300 Wins.

If Hernandez had played for a better team over the last decade, perhaps he would have 20 – 25 more wins at this point.  I think he finishes in the 250 – 270 win range.

Clayton Kershaw has 114 wins through age 27, and will enter his age 28 year in 2016.  If he can rack up an average of 18 wins a year like he has the last 5 years, in the next 5 seasons.  This could give him around 200 wins heading into his Age 33 year.

Kershaw has he right circumstances in pitching for the Dodgers, and him being a Left Handed Pitcher will give him a chance to throw forever.

Since he has breaking stuff in his arsenal, he may able to reinvent himself much like a Mark Buehrle or Frank Tanana did later in their careers.

I think he is last pitcher to have a chance at the mark.

To show you how hard it is to stay healthy in the Majors only 100 active pitchers have actually registered 50+ wins in their career heading into next season..

Clayton Kershaw probably represents the last chance for a pitcher to ever make it to 300 Wins. Kershaw will head into 2016 with 114 victories thus far. If he can replicate hi last 5 years – where he has reeled in 88 wins, he will have over 200 wins heading into his Age 33 year. He would have to secure about 100 wins in the next 8 years after that, but it is certainly possible.

*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their partners***

A Big thanks goes out to our chief writer Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s feature post.

To Subscribe and listen daily to  ‘Our Lead Personality’  Sully’s 20 Minutes Daily (every day since Oct.24, 2012) Podcast click here.  Guaranteed listening to the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast will be the best time you invest in online!

2016 MLB Previews: Team Salaries + SOTUs (MLB Teams State Of The Unions) Links Page here.