List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders
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{{multiple image
| footer = Roger Clemens (left) and Randy Johnson (right) are the only pitchers to strike out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning game on three separate occasions.
| image1 = 062707 417 Roger Clemens.jpg
| alt1 = A man wearing a navy blue baseball cap with an interlocking "NY" and grey baseball jersey with "NEW YORK" on the chest prepares to deliver a pitch.
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| image2 = Randy Johnson 04.jpg
| alt2 = A man in a gray baseball uniform with "ARIZONA" on the chest, a red baseball cap, and a tan baseball glove on his right hand with "51" on its side pitches a baseball with his left hand.
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In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/baseball/3294559.stm|title=Guide to baseball|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|accessdate=December 1, 2012|archive-date=August 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803060134/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/baseball/3294559.stm|url-status=live}} Twenty different pitchers have struck out at least 18 batters in a single nine-inning Major League Baseball (MLB) game,{{#tag:ref|18 strikeouts is utilized as the benchmark as that is normally two-thirds of a nine-inning game's 27 outs (while uncommon, a pitcher can record a strikeout that does not result in an out due to the uncaught third strike rule).{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2012/Official_Baseball_Rules.pdf|year=2012|title=Official Baseball Rules|work=MLB.com|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|access-date=March 6, 2013|archive-date=March 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324021319/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2012/Official_Baseball_Rules.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/batter_6.jsp|title=Official Rules: 6.00 – The Batter|work=MLB.com|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|access-date=March 6, 2013|archive-date=January 28, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128145352/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/batter_6.jsp|url-status=live}}|group=lower-alpha}} the most recent being Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals on May 11, 2016.{{cite news|title=Roaring 20! Max Ties K Mark, Mauls Tigers|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/max-scherzer-ties-mark-with-20-strikeouts-c177612626|date=May 12, 2016|access-date=May 12, 2016|first1=Jamal|last1=Collier|work=MLB.com|publisher=MLB Advanced Media|archive-date=May 13, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513115038/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/177612626/max-scherzer-ties-mark-with-20-strikeouts|url-status=live}} Four players have accomplished the feat more than once in their career; no player has ever struck out more than 20 batters in a nine-inning game. Charlie Sweeney was the first player to strike out 18 batters in a single game, doing so for the Providence Grays against the Boston Beaneaters on June 7, 1884.{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bravesencycloped00caru|url-access=registration|quote=charlie sweeney 19 strikeouts.|title=The Braves Encyclopedia|date=October 25, 1995|publisher=Temple University Press|first=Gary|last=Caruso|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bravesencycloped00caru/page/n26 15]|access-date=December 1, 2012|isbn=9781566393843}} In spite of this, Bob Feller is viewed as the first pitcher to accomplish the feat,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/sports/baseball/16feller.html?_r=0|title=Bob Feller, Whose Fastball Dazzled, Dies at 92|newspaper=The New York Times|first=Richard|last=Goldstein|date=December 15, 2010|access-date=December 1, 2012|archive-date=February 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130226202613/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/sports/baseball/16feller.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=a7CnkH2HIsQC&q=18+strikeouts+in+a+game&pg=PA543|title=The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer|date=December 23, 2011|publisher=Scarecrow Press|first=Dave|last=Blevins|pages=15|access-date=December 1, 2012|isbn=9781461673705}} since his then-record 18 strikeouts was the first to occur during the 20th century and the live-ball era.{{cite magazine|title=The 18 Strikeouts Of Bob Feller|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1072538/4/index.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119114909/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1072538/4/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 19, 2013|date=May 8, 1961|access-date=December 1, 2012|first=Maury|last=Allen|magazine=Sports Illustrated|publisher=CNN}}
Out of the twenty pitchers who have accomplished the feat, fifteen were right-handed and five pitched left-handed. Five of these players have played for only one major league team. Six pitchers—Steve Carlton, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Max Scherzer—are also members of the 3,000 strikeout club. Sweeney has the fewest career strikeouts in the group with 505, while Nolan Ryan, with 5,714, struck out more batters than any other pitcher in major league history.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_career.shtml|title=Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=December 1, 2010|archive-date=April 28, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110428212308/http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_career.shtml|url-status=live}} Bill Gullickson and Kerry Wood are the only rookies to have achieved the feat. Tom Seaver concluded his milestone game by striking out the final ten batters he faced, setting a new major league record for most consecutive strikeouts.{{cite news|title=Seaver Fans 19|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u08xAAAAIBAJ&pg=5009,8661632&dq=tom+seaver+19+strikeouts&hl=en|date=April 23, 1970|page=2B|access-date=March 4, 2013|first=Hal|last=Bock|newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner|agency=Associated Press|archive-date=November 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231121184219/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u08xAAAAIBAJ&pg=5009%2C8661632&dq=tom%20seaver%2019%20strikeouts&hl=en|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=Terr-whiff-ic! Seaver Ties Record With 19 Strikeouts|url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:NYPB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=123E3763CEEA92B0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=105B9A93AF33E3E3|date=June 22, 2008|access-date=March 5, 2013|page=87|first=Brian|last=Costello|newspaper=New York Post|archive-date=January 18, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118160832/http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:AWNB:NYPB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=123E3763CEEA92B0&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=105B9A93AF33E3E3|url-status=live}}{{subscription required}}
Of the eleven players eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame who have struck out 18 batters in a game, six have been elected; all six were elected on the first ballot.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof.shtml|title=Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees|work=Baseball-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=November 9, 2012|archive-date=January 4, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104093600/http://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/hof.shtml|url-status=live}} Players are eligible for the Hall of Fame if they have played in at least 10 major league seasons, and have either been retired for five seasons or deceased for at least six months.{{cite web|url=http://baseballhall.org/hall-famers/rules-election/bbwaa|title=Rules for Election|publisher=National Baseball Hall of Fame|access-date=July 6, 2012|archive-date=May 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100530074537/http://baseballhall.org/hall-famers/rules-election/bbwaa|url-status=live}}
Players
File:Bob Feller 1953.jpg was the first player to achieve 18 strikeouts in a game during the 20th century.]]
File:Sandy Koufax.jpg was the first pitcher to achieve multiple games with 18 strikeouts, recording two in his career.|alt=A smiling man in a white baseball jersey and dark baseball cap with an interlocked white "LA" on the front.]]
File:Kerry Wood 2008.jpg tied Roger Clemens' major league record of 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game on May 6, 1998.|alt=A man sporting a goatee and wearing a dark blue baseball cap with "C" in the middle, a pinstriped jersey and black Nike cleats delivers a pitch.]]
File:Max Scherzer (51122172059) (cropped).jpg tied Kerry Wood and Roger Clemens' major league record of 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game in 2016.|alt=A man in white pants and a navy blue baseball jersey with "Nationals" written across the front throws a pitch.]]
| class="wikitable"
|+Key !scope="row"|Pitcher |Name of the pitcher |
| scope="row"|Date
|Date of the game |
|---|
| scope="row"|Team
|The pitcher's team |
| scope="row"|Opposing team
|The team against whom the pitcher struck out 18 players |
| scope="row"|Score
|Final score of the game, with the pitcher's team score listed first |
| scope="row"|Strikeouts
|Number of strikeouts the pitcher recorded |
| scope="row"|Career Ks
|Career strikeouts |
| scope="row" style="background:#ffb;"|{{dagger}}
|Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame |
| scope="row" style="background:#cfecec;"|*
|Player is active |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center; background-color: #ffbbbb"|{{double-dagger}}
|Indicates the player's team lost the game |
= MLB pitchers with 18 strikeouts in a nine-inning game =
=18 strikeouts in extra-inning games=
File:Nolan Ryan in Atlanta close-up.jpg amassed 18 or more strikeouts in a nine-inning game twice, as well as 19 strikeouts in extra-inning games three times.|alt=A man in a white baseball jersey with "ASTROS" on the chest and orange and yellow stripes on his shoulders pitches a baseball with his right hand.]]
Eight different pitchers have struck out at least 18 batters in an extra-inning Major League Baseball (MLB) game to date. Only Nolan Ryan accomplished the feat more than once in his career and no player has ever struck out more than 21 batters in a game.
The following list is kept separate from the above list of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning game. This is due to the differing number of innings pitched during an extra-inning game, the lack of a definitive endpoint to the game that would otherwise allow for a fair comparison to be made, and the advantage of having more opportunities to strike out players during an extra-inning game as opposed to one lasting nine innings.
| class="wikitable"
|+Key !scope="row"|IP |Innings pitched by the pitcher in the game |
See also
Notes
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References
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External links
- [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/MISC/XOP.htm Top Individual Performances – List] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924145930/http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/MISC/XOP.htm |date=2015-09-24 }} Retrosheet (scroll down)
{{Major League Baseball records}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Strikeouts, single game, Major League Baseball}}