Baseball Almanac is pleased to present a record book full of baseball records for strikeouts — including career strikeout records, single season strikeout plateaus and game related strikeout records.
"I'm human and I've played my butt off for ten years. I'm not a loafer, I'm not a jerk, I'm a baseball player." - Reggie Jackson (American League career leader for strikeouts)
Strikeout Records for HittersCareer Strikeout Records for Hitters |
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Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Fewest Strikeouts In A Career |
AL | Joe Sewell | Cleveland | 99 | 114 |
New York | 15 | ||||
NL | Lloyd Waner | Pittsburgh | 167 | 173 | |
Boston | 0 | ||||
Cincinnati | 0 | ||||
Philadelphia | 6 | ||||
Brooklyn | 0 | ||||
Most Strikeouts In A Career | Top 1,000 |
AL | Reggie Jackson | Kansas City | 46 | 2,597 |
Oakland | 1,180 | ||||
Baltimore | 108 | ||||
New York | 573 | ||||
California | 690 | ||||
NL | Willie Stargell | Pittsburgh | 1,936 | 1,936 | |
Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Strikeout Records for HittersSingle Season Strikeout Records for Hitters |
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Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Fewest Strikeouts League Leader | Full Season |
AL | Jimmie Foxx | Philadelphia | 66 | 1930 |
Ed Morgan | Cleveland | 1930 | |||
NL | Ducky Holmes | Baltimore | 58 | 1899 | |
Fewest Strikeouts In A Season |
AL | Joe Sewell | Cleveland | 4 | 1925 |
Joe Sewell | Cleveland | 1929 | |||
NL | Charlie Hollocher | Chicago | 5 | 1922 | |
Fewest Strikeouts In A Season | Lefthander |
AL | Joe Sewell | Cleveland | 4 | 1925 |
Joe Sewell | Cleveland | 1929 | |||
NL | Charlie Hollocher | Chicago | 5 | 1922 | |
Fewest Strikeouts In A Season | Righthander |
AL | Lou Boudreau | Cleveland | 9 | 1948 |
Stuffy McInnins | Boston | 1921 | |||
NL | Emil Verban | Philadelphia | 8 | 1947 | |
Fewest Strikeouts In A Season | Rookie |
AL | Tom Oliver | Boston | 25 | 1930 |
NL | Buddy Hassett | Brooklyn | 17 | 1936 | |
Fewest Strikeouts In A Season | Switch-Hitter |
AL | Buck Weaver | Chicago | 23 | 1920 |
NL | Frankie Frisch | St. Louis | 10 | 1927 | |
Most Strikeouts In A Season | Top 500 |
AL | Adam Dunn | Chicago | 222 | 2012 |
NL | Mark Reynolds | Arizona | 223 | 2009 | |
Most Strikeouts In A Season | Lefthander |
AL | Adam Dunn | Chicago | 222 | 2012 |
NL | Adam Dunn | Washington | 199 | 2010 | |
Ryan Howard | Philadelphia | 199 | 2007 | ||
Ryan Howard | Philadelphia | 199 | 2008 | ||
Most Strikeouts In A Season | Righthander |
AL | Chris Carter | Houston | 212 | 2013 |
NL | Mark Reynolds | Arizona | 223 | 2009 | |
Most Strikeouts In A Season | Rookie |
AL | Aaron Judge | New York | 208 | 2017 |
NL | Kris Bryant | Chicago | 199 | 2015 | |
Most Strikeouts In A Season | Switch-Hitter |
AL | Yoan Moncada | Chicago | 217 | 2018 |
NL | Danny Espinosa | Washington | 189 | 2012 | |
Most Consecutive Strikeouts In Consecutive Games (Consecutive Plate Appearences) |
AL | Dean Chance | California | 11 | 07-24-1965 (1) |
07-30-1965 (2) | |||||
08-04-1965 (3) | |||||
08-09-1965 (4) | |||||
08-13-1965 (1) | |||||
NL | Sandy Koufax | Brooklyn | 12 | 06-24-1955 (1) | |
07-06-1955 (2) | |||||
08-27-1955 (3) | |||||
09-03-1955 (2) | |||||
09-11-1955 (3) | |||||
09-15-1955 (1) | |||||
Most Consecutive Strikeouts [Positional Players / Non-Pitcher] |
AL | Steve Balboni | Kansas City | 9 | 08-20-1984 (2) |
08-21-1984 (3) | |||||
08-22-1984 (4) | |||||
Reggie Jackson | Oakland | 07-06-1987 (1) | |||
07-08-1987 (3) | |||||
07-09-1987 (4) | |||||
07-11-1987 (1) | |||||
Bo Jackson | Kansas City | 09-16-1988 (3) | |||
09-17-1988 (2) | |||||
09-19-1988 (4) | |||||
Yoan Moncada | Boston | 09-05-2016 (3) | |||
09-06-2016 (4) | |||||
09-09-2016 (1) | |||||
09-12-2016 (1) | |||||
NL | Adolfo Phillips | Chicago | 9 | 06-08-1966 (2) | |
06-10-1966 (5) | |||||
06-11-1966 (2) | |||||
Eric Davis | Cincinnati | 04-24-1987 (4) | |||
04-25-1987 (5) | |||||
Mark Reynolds | Arizona | 08-18-2007 (1) | |||
08-19-2007 (2) | |||||
08-20-2007 (4) | |||||
08-21-2007 (2) | |||||
Most Consecutive Strikeouts In Consecutive Games (Non-Consecutive Plate Appearences) |
AL | Jim Hannan | Washington | 13 | 07-24-1968 (4) |
07-29-1968 (2) | |||||
08-03-1968 (3) | |||||
08-08-1968 (3) | |||||
08-13-1968 (1) | |||||
NL | Mike Thurman | Montreal | 15 | 07-24-1998 (1) | |
07-30-1998 (1) | |||||
08-04-1998 (1) | |||||
08-09-1998 (1) | |||||
08-15-1998 (1) | |||||
08-17-1998 (0) | |||||
08-20-1998 (3) | |||||
08-25-1998 (2) | |||||
08-30-1998 (2) | |||||
09-05-1998 (2) | |||||
09-10-1998 (1) | |||||
Most Consecutive Seasons Leading a League | Yearly Leaders |
AL | Reggie Jackson | Oakland | 4 | 1968 - 1971 |
NL | Vince DiMaggio | Boston / Pittsburgh | 4 | 1942 - 1945 | |
Juan Samuel | Philadelphia | 1984 - 1987 | |||
Hack Wilson | Chicago | 1927 - 1930 | |||
ML | Mark Reynolds | Arizona [NL] | 4 | 2008 - 2010 | |
Baltimore [AL] | 2011 - 2011 | ||||
Most Seasons Leading a League | Yearly Leaders |
AL | Jimmie Foxx | Philadelphia | 7 | 1929 |
Philadelphia | 1930 | ||||
Philadelphia | 1931 | ||||
Philadelphia | 1933 | ||||
Philadelphia | 1935 | ||||
Boston | 1936 | ||||
Boston | 1941 | ||||
NL | Vince DiMaggio | Boston |
6 |
1937 | |
Boston | 1938 | ||||
Pittsburgh | 1942 | ||||
Pittsburgh | 1943 | ||||
Pittsburgh | 1944 | ||||
Pittsburgh | 1945 | ||||
Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Strikeout Records for HittersGame Specific Strikeout Records for Hitters |
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Record | Lg | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Most Games With No Strikeouts Consecutively |
AL | Joe Sewell | Cleveland | 115 | 05-19-1929 |
09-19-1929 | |||||
NL | Lloyd Waner | Pittsburgh | 77 | 04-24-1941 | |
Boston | 09-16-1941 | ||||
Most Games in a Career With 4+ Strikeouts |
AL | Reggie Jackson | Kansas City | 1 | 23 |
Oakland | 10 | ||||
Baltimore | 0 | ||||
New York | 7 | ||||
California | 5 | ||||
NL | Ryan Howard | Philadelphia | 27 | 27 | |
Most Games in a Season Bold = League Record |
AL | Joey Gallo | Texas | 6 | 06-17-2018 |
Texas | 07-11-2018 | ||||
Texas | 09-04-2018 | ||||
Texas | 09-08-2018 | ||||
Texas | 09-24-2018 | ||||
Texas | 09-26-2018 | ||||
Reggie Jackson | Oakland | 5 | 04-07-1971 | ||
Oakland | 04-21-1971 | ||||
Oakland | 05-18-1971 | ||||
Oakland | 06-04-1971 | ||||
Oakland | 09-21-1971 | ||||
Bobby Darwin | Minnesota | 05-12-1972 | |||
Minnesota | 06-23-1972 | ||||
Minnesota | 07-14-1972 | ||||
Minnesota | 08-06-1972 | ||||
Minnesota | 08-10-1972 | ||||
Bo Jackson | Kansas City | 04-18-1987 | |||
Kansas City | 06-03-1987 | ||||
Kansas City | 06-20-1987 | ||||
Kansas City | 07-18-1987 | ||||
Kansas City | 08-17-1987 | ||||
NL | Dick Allen | Philadelphia | 7 | 04-13-1968 | |
Philadelphia | 05-01-1968 | ||||
Philadelphia | 05-09-1968 | ||||
Philadelphia | 06-29-1968 | ||||
Philadelphia | 07-16-1968 | ||||
Philadelphia | 07-21-1968 | ||||
Philadelphia | 08-19-1968 | ||||
Most Strikeouts Bold = League Record |
AL | Aaron Judge | New York (Gm 1) | 8 | 06-04-2018 |
New York (Gm 2) | 06-04-2018 | ||||
Shea Hillenbrand | Toronto (Gm 1) | 7 | 09-27-2005 | ||
Toronto (Gm 2) | 09-27-2005 | ||||
Frank Howard | Washington (Gm 1) | 07-09-1965 | |||
Washington (Gm 2) | 07-09-1965 | ||||
Bill Melton | Chicago (Gm 1) | 07-24-1970 | |||
Chicago (Gm 2) | 07-24-1970 | ||||
Dave Nicholson | Chicago (Gm 1) | 06-12-1963 | |||
Chicago (Gm 2) | 06-12-1963 | ||||
Pat Seerey | Chicago (Gm 1) | 07-24-1948 | |||
Chicago (Gm 2) | 07-24-1948 | ||||
NL | Mike Vail | New York (Gm 1) | 7 | 09-26-1975 | |
New York (Gm 2) | 09-26-1975 | ||||
Most Strikeouts In A 9-Inning Game |
AL | Bob Allison | Minnesota | 5 | 09-02-1965 |
Alex Avila | Chicago | 09-24-2016 | |||
Jake Bauers | New York | 08-13-2023 | |||
Danny Bautista | Detroit | 05-28-1995 | |||
Bo Bichette | Toronto | 08-15-2021 | |||
Phil Bradley | Baltimore | 09-07-1989 | |||
Johnny Broaca | New York | 06-25-1934 | |||
Don Buford | Baltimore | 08-26-1971 | |||
Jake Burger | Chicago | 05-23-2023 | |||
Jose Canseco | Oakland | 07-16-1997 | |||
Matt Chapman | Oakland | 09-05-2020 | |||
Michael Chavis | Boston | 08-18-2020 | |||
Gerrit Cole | Houston | 05-04-2018 | |||
Matt Davidson | Chicago | 05-30-2017 | |||
Rob Deer | Milwaukee | 08-08-1987 | |||
Larry Doby | Cleveland | 04-25-1948 | |||
Edwin Encarnacion | New York | 06-29-2019 | |||
Dustin Fowler | Oakland | 07-09-2018 | |||
Lefty Grove | Philadelphia | 06-10-1933 | |||
Bill Hall | Seattle | 09-05-2009 | |||
Bob Hamelin | Kansas City | 05-24-1995 | |||
John Hicks | Detroit | 04-14-2019 | |||
Frank Howard | Washington | 09-19-1970 | |||
Bo Jackson | Kansas City | 04-18-1987 | |||
Reggie Jackson | Oakland | 09-27-1968 | |||
John Jaha | Oakland | 04-20-2000 | |||
Ray Jarvis | Boston | 04-20-1969 | |||
Daniel Johnson | Cleveland | 05-02-2021 | |||
Aaron Judge | New York | 06-04-2018 | |||
Aaron Judge | New York | 05-05-2021 | |||
Chet Laabs | Detroit | 10-02-1938 | |||
Jim Landis | Chicago | 07-28-1957 | |||
Jeffrey Leonard | Milwaukee | 08-24-1988 | |||
Brandon Lowe | Tampa Bay | 04-24-2023 | |||
Rick Manning | Cleveland | 05-15-1977 | |||
Joey Meyer | Milwaukee | 09-20-1988 | |||
Yoan Moncada | Chicago | 04-02-2021 | |||
Rick Monday | Oakland | 04-29-1970 | |||
Craig Monroe | Detroit | 06-14-2007 | |||
Salvador Perez | Kansas City | 08-19-2018 | |||
Andy Phillips | New York | 05-02-2005 | |||
Phil Plantier | Boston | 10-01-1991 | |||
Colby Rasmus | Houston | 07-06-2016 | |||
Alex Rios | Toronto | 07-29-2006 | |||
Alex Rios | Toronto | 06-04-2009 | |||
Anthony Rizzo | New York | 07-30-2023 | |||
David Ross | Boston | 05-25-2013 | |||
Danny Santana | Texas | 08-28-2019 | |||
Justin Smoak | Texas | 06-13-2010 | |||
Giancarlo Stanton | New York | 04-03-2018 | |||
Jim Thome | Cleveland | 04-09-2000 | |||
Ramón Urías | Baltimore | 04-01-2023 | |||
Bernie Williams | New York | 08-21-1991 | |||
NL | Dick Allen | Philadelphia | 5 | 06-28-1964 | |
Javier Baez | Chicago | 07-25-2017 | |||
Javier Baez | Chicago | 05-27-2019 | |||
Javier Baez | New York | 08-05-2021 | |||
Tony Batista | Montreal | 08-31-2004 | |||
Bert Blyleven | Pittsburgh | 07-27-1979 | |||
Jay Bruce | Cincinnati | 08-28-2014 | |||
Pat Burrell | Philadelphia | 09-16-2008 | |||
Mike Cameron | San Diego | 09-12-2007 | |||
Curt Casali | San Francisco | 06-03-2022 | |||
Bryan De La Cruz | Miami | 04-27-2023 | |||
Delino DeShields | Montreal | 09-17-1991 | |||
Pete Dowling | Louisville | 08-15-1899 | |||
Adam Dunn | Cincinnati | 08-20-2002 | |||
Avisail Garcia | Milwaukee | 04-21-2021 | |||
Carlos Gonzalez | Colorado | 07-18-2014 | |||
Bob Harmon | St. Louis | 07-07-1911 | |||
Clay Hensley | San Diego | 05-14-2006 | |||
Jason Heyward | Atlanta | 06-04-2010 | |||
Jonathan India | Cincinnati | 09-11-2022 | |||
Andruw Jones | Atlanta | 05-20-2007 | |||
Dave Kingman | New York | 05-28-1982 | |||
DJ LeMahieu | Colorado | 08-03-2015 | |||
Ted Lilly | Chicago | 06-30-2008 | |||
Pepe Mangual | Montreal | 08-11-1975 | |||
Starling Marte | Pittsburgh | 04-18-2013 | |||
Andrew McCutchen | Philadelphia | 08-21-2021 | |||
Max Muncy | Los Angeles | 03-30-2023 | |||
Tyler Naquin | New York | 08-19-2022 | |||
Roman Quinn | Philadelphia | 09-24-2016 | |||
Scott Rolen | Philadelphia | 08-23-1999 | |||
Bill Russell | Los Angeles | 06-09-1971 | |||
Bob Sadowski | Milwaukee | 04-20-1964 | |||
Richie Sexson | Milwaukee | 05-29-2001 | |||
Geovany Soto | Chicago | 04-26-2008 | |||
Trevor Story | Colorado | 05-26-2019 | |||
Bryson Stott | Philadelphia | 04-16-2022 | |||
Darryl Strawberry | Los Angeles | 05-01-1991 | |||
Eugenio Suarez | Cincinnati | 08-15-2018 | |||
Dansby Swanson | Chicago | 04-14-2023 | |||
Ron Swoboda | New York | 06-22-1969 | |||
Frank Taveras | New York | 05-01-1979 | |||
Michael Taylor | Washington | 06-22-2016 | |||
LaMonte Wade Jr. | San Francisco | 05-26-2023 | |||
Oscar Walker | Buffalo | 06-20-1879 | |||
Steve Whitaker | San Francisco | 04-14-1970 | |||
Preston Wilson | Houston | 04-17-2006 | |||
Pep Young | Pittsburgh | 09-29-1935 | |||
Most Strikeouts In A Game Extra Innings |
AL | Cecil Cooper | Boston | 6 | 06-14-1974 |
15 Innings | |||||
Billy Cowan | California | 07-09-1971 | |||
20 Innings | |||||
Alex Gonzalez | Toronto | 09-09-1998 | |||
13 Innings | |||||
Sam Horn | Baltimore | 07-17-1991 | |||
15 Innings | |||||
Rick Reichardt | California | 05-31-1966 | |||
17 Innings | |||||
Carl Weilman | St. Louis | 07-25-1913 | |||
15 Innings | |||||
NL | Don Hoak | Chicago | 6 | 05-02-1956 | |
17 Innings | |||||
Geoff Jenkins | Milwaukee | 06-08-2004 | |||
17 Innings | |||||
Record | LG | Name(s) | Team(s) | Data | |
Strikeout Records for Hitters | Research by Baseball Almanac |
The most times an American League pitcher struck out during a single season was 65 times set in 1972, by Wilbur Wood of the Chicago White Sox. In the National League it was 62 times, set in 1968, by Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets.
The Major League record for most strikeouts during a players first game ever is four. Those who have worn a "golden sombrero" and entered this record book during their debut are: Billy Sunday (May 22, 1883), Hercules Burnett (June 26, 1888), George Goetz (June 17, 1889), Rollie Naylor (September 14, 1917), Lee Bales (August 7, 1966), and Sam Ewing (September 11, 1973).
Reggie Jackson, the all-time strikeout leader, also holds the Major League record for most seasons with at least one-hundred strikeouts — he has eighteen of them during his hall of fame career!
Did you know that from 1952 through 1962, Nellie Fox led the league in fewest strikeouts for a player appearing in at least one-hundred fifty games?