List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders

In baseball, a strikeout occurs when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter during his time at bat. Twenty different pitchers have struck out at least 18 batters in a single nine-inning Major League Baseball (MLB) game, the most recent being Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals on May 11, 2016. 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. In spite of this, Bob Feller is viewed as the first pitcher to accomplish the feat, since his then-record 18 strikeouts was the first to occur during the 20th century and the live-ball era.

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List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders

Out of the 20 pitchers who have accomplished the feat, 15 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. 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.

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. 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.

Players

List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders

Bob Feller was the first player to achieve 18 strikeouts in a game during the 20th century.

Sandy Koufax was the first pitcher to achieve multiple games with 18 strikeouts, recording two in his career.

Kerry Wood tied Roger Clemens' major league record of 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game on May 6, 1998.

Max Scherzer tied Kerry Wood and Roger Clemens' major league record of 20 strikeouts in a nine-inning game in 2016.

<table><thead><tr><th>Pitcher</th><th>Name of the pitcher</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Date</td><td>Date of the game</td></tr><tr><td>Team</td><td>The pitcher's team</td></tr><tr><td>Opposing team</td><td>The team against whom the pitcher struck out 18 players</td></tr><tr><td>Score</td><td>Final score of the game, with the pitcher's team score listed first</td></tr><tr><td>Strikeouts</td><td>Number of strikeouts the pitcher recorded</td></tr><tr><td>Career Ks</td><td>Career strikeouts</td></tr><tr><td>†</td><td>Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Player is active</td></tr><tr><td>‡</td><td>Indicates the player's team lost the game</td></tr></tbody></table>

MLB pitchers with 18 strikeouts in a nine-inning game

<table><thead><tr><th>Pitcher</th><th>Date</th><th>Team</th><th>Opposing team</th><th>Score</th><th>Strikeouts</th><th>Career Ks</th><th>Refs</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Max Scherzer</td><td>May 11, 2016</td><td>Washington Nationals</td><td>Detroit Tigers</td><td>3–2</td><td>20</td><td>3,407</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Kerry Wood</td><td>May 6, 1998</td><td>Chicago Cubs</td><td>Houston Astros</td><td>2–0</td><td>1,582</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Roger Clemens</td><td>September 18, 1996</td><td>Boston Red Sox</td><td>Detroit Tigers</td><td>4–0</td><td>4,672</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>April 29, 1986</td><td>Seattle Mariners</td><td>3–1</td><td>4,672</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Randy Johnson†</td><td>August 8, 1997</td><td>Seattle Mariners</td><td>Chicago White Sox</td><td>5–0</td><td>19</td><td>4,875</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>June 24, 1997</td><td>Oakland Athletics</td><td>1–4‡</td><td>4,875</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>David Cone</td><td>October 6, 1991</td><td>New York Mets</td><td>Philadelphia Phillies</td><td>7–0</td><td>2,668</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nolan Ryan†</td><td>August 12, 1974</td><td>California Angels</td><td>Boston Red Sox</td><td>4–2</td><td>5,714</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Tom Seaver†</td><td>April 22, 1970</td><td>New York Mets</td><td>San Diego Padres</td><td>2–1</td><td>3,640</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Steve Carlton†</td><td>September 15, 1969</td><td>St. Louis Cardinals</td><td>New York Mets</td><td>3–4‡</td><td>4,136</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Hugh Daily</td><td>July 7, 1884</td><td>Chicago Browns</td><td>Boston Reds</td><td>10–4</td><td>846</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Charlie Sweeney</td><td>June 7, 1884</td><td>Providence Grays</td><td>Boston Beaneaters</td><td>2–1</td><td>505</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Corey Kluber</td><td>May 13, 2015</td><td>Cleveland Indians</td><td>St. Louis Cardinals</td><td>2–0</td><td>18</td><td>1,725</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ben Sheets</td><td>May 16, 2004</td><td>Milwaukee Brewers</td><td>Atlanta Braves</td><td>4–1</td><td>1,325</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Roger Clemens</td><td>August 25, 1998</td><td>Toronto Blue Jays</td><td>Kansas City Royals</td><td>3–0</td><td>4,672</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Randy Johnson†</td><td>September 27, 1992</td><td>Seattle Mariners</td><td>Texas Rangers</td><td>2–3‡</td><td>4,875</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ramón Martínez</td><td>June 4, 1990</td><td>Los Angeles Dodgers</td><td>Atlanta Braves</td><td>6–0</td><td>1,427</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bill Gullickson</td><td>September 10, 1980</td><td>Montreal Expos</td><td>Chicago Cubs</td><td>4–2</td><td>1,279</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Ron Guidry</td><td>June 17, 1978</td><td>New York Yankees</td><td>California Angels</td><td>4–0</td><td>1,778</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nolan Ryan†</td><td>September 10, 1976</td><td>California Angels</td><td>Chicago White Sox</td><td>3–2</td><td>5,714</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Don Wilson</td><td>July 14, 1968</td><td>Houston Astros</td><td>Cincinnati Reds</td><td>6–1</td><td>1,283</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Sandy Koufax†</td><td>April 24, 1962</td><td>Los Angeles Dodgers</td><td>Chicago Cubs</td><td>10–2</td><td>2,396</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>August 31, 1959</td><td>San Francisco Giants</td><td>5–2</td><td>2,396</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Bob Feller†</td><td>October 2, 1938</td><td>Cleveland Indians</td><td>Detroit Tigers</td><td>1–4‡</td><td>2,581</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Henry Porter</td><td>October 3, 1884</td><td>Milwaukee Brewers</td><td>Boston Reds</td><td>4–5‡</td><td>659</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Dupee Shaw</td><td>July 19, 1884</td><td>Boston Reds</td><td>St. Louis Maroons</td><td>0–1‡</td><td>950</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

18 strikeouts in extra-inning games

Nolan Ryan amassed 18 or more strikeouts in a nine-inning game twice, as well as 19 strikeouts in extra-inning games three times.

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.

<table><thead><tr><th>Pitcher</th><th>Date</th><th>Team</th><th>Opposing team</th><th>Score</th><th>Strikeouts</th><th>IP</th><th>Career Ks</th><th>Refs</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Tom Cheney</td><td>September 12, 1962</td><td>Washington Senators</td><td>Baltimore Orioles</td><td>2–1</td><td>21</td><td>16</td><td>345</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Randy Johnson†</td><td>May 8, 2001</td><td>Arizona Diamondbacks</td><td>Cincinnati Reds</td><td>4–3</td><td>20</td><td>9</td><td>4,875</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Luis Tiant</td><td>July 3, 1968</td><td>Cleveland Indians</td><td>Minnesota Twins</td><td>1–0</td><td>19</td><td>10</td><td>2,416</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Nolan Ryan†</td><td>June 14, 1974</td><td>California Angels</td><td>Boston Red Sox</td><td>4–3</td><td>13</td><td>5,714</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>August 20, 1974</td><td>Detroit Tigers</td><td>0–1‡</td><td>11</td><td>5,714</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>June 8, 1977</td><td>Toronto Blue Jays</td><td>2–1</td><td>10</td><td>5,714</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jack Coombs</td><td>September 1, 1906</td><td>Philadelphia Athletics</td><td>Boston Americans</td><td>4-1</td><td>18</td><td>24</td><td>1,052</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Warren Spahn†</td><td>June 14, 1952</td><td>Boston Braves</td><td>Chicago Cubs</td><td>1–3‡</td><td>15</td><td>2,583</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Chris Short</td><td>October 2, 1965</td><td>Philadelphia Phillies</td><td>New York Mets</td><td>0–0</td><td>15</td><td>1,629</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Jim Maloney</td><td>June 14, 1965</td><td>Cincinnati Reds</td><td>New York Mets</td><td>0–1‡</td><td>11</td><td>1,605</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>