Editing Strikeout (section)

==Records==

===Pitchers===
[[File:John Smoltz 3000 strikeouts.jpg|thumb|right|An electronic banner announcing the milestone achievement of [[John Smoltz]] recording his 3000th strikeout during a game in April 2008]]

====Career total====
{{See also|List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders|3,000 strikeout club}}
The top 20 [[Major League Baseball]] career strikeout leaders (active players in '''bold''') (since 1901):<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_career.shtml |title=Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |access-date=October 14, 2018}}</ref>

#[[Nolan Ryan]] – 5,714
#[[Randy Johnson]] – 4,875
#[[Roger Clemens]] – 4,672
#[[Steve Carlton]] – 4,136
#[[Bert Blyleven]] – 3,701
#[[Tom Seaver]] – 3,640
#[[Don Sutton]] – 3,574
#[[Gaylord Perry]] – 3,534
#[[Walter Johnson]] – 3,509
#'''[[Justin Verlander]]''' – 3,457
#'''[[Max Scherzer]]''' – 3,408
#[[Greg Maddux]] – 3,371
#[[Phil Niekro]] – 3,342
#[[Ferguson Jenkins]] – 3,192
#[[Pedro Martínez]] – 3,154
#[[Bob Gibson]] – 3,117
#[[Curt Schilling]] – 3,116
#[[CC Sabathia]] – 3,093
#[[John Smoltz]] – 3,084
#[[Zack Greinke]] – 2,979

Active pitchers with over 2,000 strikeouts (as of May 28, 2025):<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_active.shtml |title=Active Leaders & Records for Strikeouts |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=October 14, 2018}}</ref>

#'''[[Justin Verlander]]''' – 3,457
#'''[[Max Scherzer]]''' – 3,408
#'''[[Clayton Kershaw]]''' – 2,974
#'''[[Chris Sale]]''' – 2,492
#'''[[Gerrit Cole]]''' – 2,251
#'''[[Charlie Morton (pitcher)|Charlie Morton]]''' – 2,092
#'''[[Yu Darvish]]''' – 2,007

====Strikeouts per 9 innings====
The top 10 [[Major League Baseball]] career [[Strikeouts per 9 innings pitched|strikeout-per-nine innings]] leaders (since 1900, minimum 1,000 [[innings pitched|IP]]):<ref name="kp9">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/strikeouts_per_nine_career.shtml |title=Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts per 9 IP |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=October 14, 2018}}</ref>

#'''[[Blake Snell]]''' - 11.16
#'''[[Chris Sale]]''' – 11.10
#'''[[Robbie Ray]]''' – 11.00
#'''[[Jacob deGrom]]''' – 10.87
#'''[[Max Scherzer]]''' – 10.64
#[[Randy Johnson]] – 10.60
#'''[[Yu Darvish]]''' – 10.58
#[[Stephen Strasburg]] – 10.54
#'''[[Gerrit Cole]]''' – 10.36
#[[Kerry Wood]] – 10.31

The top 5 [[Major League Baseball]] single-season strikeout-per-nine innings leaders (since 1900, minimum 1.0 [[innings pitched|IP]] per team game):<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/strikeouts_per_nine_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Strikeouts per 9 IP |publisher=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=October 14, 2018}}</ref>

# '''[[Shane Bieber]]''', 2020 – 14.19
# '''[[Gerrit Cole]]''', 2019 – 13.81
# '''[[Jacob deGrom]]''', 2020 – 13.76
# '''[[Spencer Strider]]''', 2023 - 13.54
# [[Randy Johnson]], 2001 – 13.40

====Season====
{{See also|300 strikeout club}}
The top 10 [[Major League Baseball]] single-season strikeout totals (since 1900):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/pitching/pistrik3.shtml |title=Strikeouts Single Season Leaders by Baseball Almanac |publisher=Baseball-almanac.com |access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#ddf;"| Pitcher
! style="background:#ddf;"| Strikeouts
! style="background:#ddf;"| Season
! style="background:#ddf;"| Team
! style="background:#ddf;"| League
! style="background:#ddf;"| Overall Rank
|-
| Nolan Ryan || 383 || 1973 || California Angels || AL || 8
|-
| Sandy Koufax || 382 || 1965 || Los Angeles Dodgers || NL || 9
|-
| Randy Johnson || 372 || 2001 || Arizona Diamondbacks || NL || 11
|-
| Nolan Ryan || 367 || 1974 || California Angels || AL || 14
|-
| Randy Johnson || 364 || 1999 || Arizona Diamondbacks || NL || 15
|-
| Rube Waddell || 349 || 1904 || Philadelphia Athletics || AL || 18
|-
| Bob Feller || 348 || 1946 || Cleveland Indians || AL || 19
|-
| Randy Johnson || 347 || 2000 || Arizona Diamondbacks || NL || 20
|-
| Nolan Ryan || 341 || 1977 || California Angels || AL || 25
|-
| Randy Johnson || 334 || 2002 || Arizona Diamondbacks || NL || 30
|}

The top 10 [[Major League Baseball]] single-season strikeout totals (all time):<ref name="Baseball Reference.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_p_season.shtml |title=Single-Season Leaders & Records for Strikeouts |access-date=May 10, 2011}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#ddf;"| Pitcher
! style="background:#ddf;"| Strikeouts
! style="background:#ddf;"| Season
! style="background:#ddf;"| Team
! style="background:#ddf;"| League
! style="background:#ddf;"| Overall Rank
|-
| [[Matt Kilroy]] || 513 || 1886 || [[Baltimore Orioles (19th century)|Baltimore Orioles]] || [[American Association (19th century)|AA]] || 1
|-
| [[Toad Ramsey]] || 499 || 1886 || [[Louisville Colonels]] || AA || 2
|-
| [[Hugh Daily]] || 483 || 1884 || [[Chicago Browns/Pittsburgh Stogies]]/[[Washington Nationals (UA)|Washington Nationals]] || [[Union Association|UA]] || 3
|-
| [[Dupee Shaw]] || 451 || 1884 || [[Detroit Wolverines]]/[[Boston Reds (1884)|Boston Reds]] || NL/UA || 4
|-
| [[Old Hoss Radbourn]] || 441 || 1884 || [[Providence Grays]] || NL ||	5
|-
| [[Charlie Buffington]] || 417 || 1884 || [[Boston Beaneaters]] ||Da|| 6
|-
| [[Guy Hecker]] || 385 || 1884 || [[Louisville Eclipse]] || AA || 7
|-
| Nolan Ryan || 383 || 1973 || California Angels || AL || 8
|-
| Sandy Koufax || 382 || 1965 || Los Angeles Dodgers || NL || 9
|-
| [[Bill Sweeney (pitcher)|Bill Sweeney]] || 374 || 1884 || [[Baltimore Monumentals]] || UA || 10
|}

====Game====
{{see also|List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders}}
Progression of major league strikeout record for one nine-inning game, regular season (partial listing):

*18 – [[Dupee Shaw]], [[Boston Reds (1884)|Boston Reds (UA)]], July 19, 1884.<ref name="Page 63">{{cite web |title=Baseball Recordbook 2007 |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/books/baseball/2007baseballrecordbook/2007-095.regular.season.pdf |publisher=[[Sporting News]] |page=63}}</ref> Matched by:
**[[Henry Porter (baseball)|Henry Porter]], [[Milwaukee Brewers (UA)]], October 3, 1884.<ref name="Page 63"/><ref>{{cite web |first=Charlie |last=Bevis |url=http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ed328c8f |title=George Bignell |website=[[SABR]] |access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref>

Modern era:
*16 – [[Rube Waddell]], July 29, 1908
*18 – [[Bob Feller]], October 2, 1938. Matched by:
**[[Sandy Koufax]], August 31, 1959
**Koufax again, April 24, 1962
**[[Don Wilson (baseball)|Don Wilson]], July 14, 1968
**[[Ron Guidry]], June 17, 1978.
*19 – [[Steve Carlton]], September 15, 1969. Matched by:
**[[Tom Seaver]], April 22, 1970
**[[Nolan Ryan]], August 12, 1974.
**[[David Cone]], October 16, 1991
*20 – [[Roger Clemens]], April 29, 1986. Matched by:
**Clemens again, September 18, 1996
**[[Kerry Wood]], May 6, 1998
**[[Randy Johnson]], May 8, 2001 (the first nine innings of an extra-inning game)
**[[Max Scherzer]], May 11, 2016

Note: [[Tom Cheney (baseball)|Tom Cheney]] struck out 21 batters overall, in a 16-inning game, September 12, 1962.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1962/B09120BAL1962.htm |title=Washington Senators 2, Baltimore Orioles 1 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=September 12, 1962 |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref> He had 13 strikeouts through the first nine innings.

Progression of strikeout record, [[World Series]] game:

*10 – [[1903 World Series|1903]] (first modern Series), Game 1, [[Deacon Phillippe]]
*11 – [[1903 World Series|1903]], Game 2, [[Bill Dinneen]]
*12 – [[1906 World Series|1906]], Game 3, [[Ed Walsh]]
*13 – [[1929 World Series|1929]], Game 1, [[Howard Ehmke]]
*14 – [[1953 World Series|1953]], Game 3, [[Carl Erskine]]
*15 – [[1963 World Series|1963]], Game 1, [[Sandy Koufax]]
*17 – [[1968 World Series|1968]], Game 1, [[Bob Gibson]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1968/B10020SLN1968.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 4, Detroit Tigers 0 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=October 2, 1968 |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>

Progression of major league strikeout record for a relief pitcher, regular season (partial listing):<ref name="Baseball America">{{cite web|title=Strikeout Records|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_strik.shtml|website=[[Baseball Almanac]]}}</ref>
*15 – [[Walter Johnson]], July 25, 1915
*16 – [[Randy Johnson]], July 18, 2001<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/2001/B07180SDN2001.htm |title=Arizona Diamondbacks 3, San Diego Padres 0 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=July 18, 2001 |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref>

===Batters===
====Career====
{{see also|List of Major League Baseball career strikeouts by batters leaders}}
The top 15 [[Major League Baseball]] career strikeout leaders (as of March 27, 2025):<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/SO_career.shtml | title=Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts }}</ref>

#[[Reggie Jackson]] – 2,597
#[[Jim Thome]] – 2,548
#[[Adam Dunn]] – 2,379
#[[Sammy Sosa]] – 2,306
#[[Alex Rodriguez]] – 2,287
#[[Miguel Cabrera]] – 2,105
#[[Andrés Galarraga]] – 2,003
#[[Justin Upton]] - 1,971
#'''[[Giancarlo Stanton]]''' – 1,963
#[[José Canseco]] – 1,942
#[[Willie Stargell]] – 1,937
#[[Mark Reynolds (baseball)|Mark Reynolds]] – 1,927
#[[Nelson Cruz]] – 1,916
#[[Curtis Granderson]] – 1,916
#[[Mike Cameron]] – 1,901

Active batters with over 1,300 K's (as of May 30, 2025):
#'''[[Giancarlo Stanton]]''' – 1,963
#'''[[Paul Goldschmidt]]''' – 1,914
#'''[[Andrew McCutchen]]''' – 1,809
#'''[[J.D. Martinez]]''' – 1,714
#'''[[Eugenio Suárez]]''' – 1,673
#'''[[Freddie Freeman]]''' – 1,672
#'''[[Bryce Harper]]''' – 1,575
#'''[[Nick Castellanos]]''' – 1,527
#'''[[Mike Trout]]''' – 1,523
#'''[[Carlos Santana (baseball)|Carlos Santana]]''' – 1,486
#'''[[Christian Yelich]]''' – 1,444
#'''[[Marcell Ozuna]]''' – 1,397
#'''[[Kyle Schwarber]]''' – 1,389
#'''[[Manny Machado]]''' – 1,338
#'''[[Javier Báez]]''' – 1,334
<!--
#'''[[Arron Judge]]''' – 1,264
#'''[[Marcus Semien]]''' – 1,260
#'''[[George Springer]]''' – 1,253
#'''[[José Abreu]]''' – 1,246
#'''[[Jason Heyward]]''' – 1,238
#'''[[Salvador Pérez]]''' – 1,227
#'''[[Xander Bogaerts]]''' – 1,217
#'''[[Starling Marte]]''' – 1,217
#'''[[Anthony Rizzo]]''' – 1,208
-->

====Season====
Single-season strikeout records (batters):
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Rank
!Player
!Team
!Strikeouts
!Year
|-
|{{center|1}} || [[Mark Reynolds (baseball)|Mark Reynolds]]|| [[Arizona Diamondbacks]] || 223 || 2009
|-
|{{center|2}} || [[Adam Dunn]]|| [[Chicago White Sox]] || 222 || 2012
|-
|{{center|3}} || [[Chris Davis (baseball)|Chris Davis]]|| [[Baltimore Orioles]] || 219 || 2016
|-
|{{center|4}}
|[[Elly De La Cruz|'''Elly De La Cruz''']]
|[[Cincinnati Reds]]
|218
|2024
|-
|{{center|5}}|| '''[[Yoán Moncada]]'''|| [[Chicago White Sox]]|| 217 || 2018
|-
|{{center|6}}|| [[Kyle Schwarber|'''Kyle Schwarber''']]|| [[Philadelphia Phillies]]|| 215 || 2023
|-
| style="text-align:center;" | {{center|7}}
|[[Eugenio Suárez|'''Eugenio Suárez''']]
|[[Arizona Diamondbacks]]
|214
|2023
|-
|{{center|8}}
|[[Joey Gallo (baseball)|'''Joey Gallo''']]
|[[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]
|213
|2021
|-
|{{center|9}}
|[[Chris Carter (infielder)|Chris Carter]]
|[[Houston Astros]]
|212
|2013
|-
| rowspan="3" |{{center|10}} || [[Teoscar Hernández|'''Teoscar Hernández''']]|| [[Seattle Mariners]]|| 211 || 2023
|-
|[[Mark Reynolds (baseball)|Mark Reynolds]]
|[[Arizona Diamondbacks]]
|211
|2010
|-
|[[Giancarlo Stanton|'''Giancarlo Stanton''']]
|[[New York Yankees]]
|211
|2018
|}

===Game (teams combined)===
Progression of record for total strikeouts by both teams in one game (partial listing):
*33 – San Francisco Giants at Philadelphia Phillies (14 innings), June 22, 1958.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1958/B06221PHI1958.htm |title=San Francisco Giants 5, Philadelphia Phillies 4 (1) |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=June 22, 1958 |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=TRIB/> Matched by:
**33 – Washington Senators at Cleveland Indians (19 innings), June 14, 1963<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1963/B06142CLE1963.htm |title=Cleveland Indians 3, Washington Senators 2 (2) |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=June 14, 1963 |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=TRIB/>
*36 – San Francisco Giants at New York Mets (23 innings), May 31, 1964<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1964/B05312NYN1964.htm |title=San Francisco Giants 8, New York Mets 6 (2) |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=May 31, 1964  |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=SLPD/><ref name=TRIB>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10853690/mlb_records_set_in_marathon/ |title=Major League Records Set in Marathon |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=June 1, 1964 |access-date=May 8, 2017 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>
*43 – California Angels at Oakland Athletics (20 innings), July 9, 1971<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1971/B07090OAK1971.htm |title=Oakland Athletics 1, California Angels 0 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=July 9, 1971 |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=espn48k>{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19335130/new-york-yankees-chicago-cubs-sets-record-48-strikeouts |title=Yankees-Cubs sets MLB record with 48 combined strikeouts |website=[[ESPN.com]] |date=May 8, 2017 |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=SLPD>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10853468/strikeouts_10july1971/ |title=Mangual Ends Angels' Night Life |newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] |date=July 10, 1971 |access-date=May 8, 2017 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref>
*48 – New York Yankees at Chicago Cubs (18 innings), May 7, 2017<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=370507116 |title=New York Yankees vs. Chicago Cubs – Box Score  |website=[[ESPN.com]] |date=May 7, 2017 |access-date=May 8, 2017}}</ref><ref name=espn48k/>