Photo by apardavila 
Tonight (September 18), Indians’ starter Corey Kluber fanned 11 batters in eight innings, as Cleveland topped the White Sox 5-3 in Cleveland. Kluber’s performance enabled the Indians to tie a MLB record – and put them on the cusp of breaking that record.
Kluber ran his season strikeout total to 205 (in 203 innings) – joining two other Cleveland starters with 200+ strikeouts this season – Carlos Carrasco (206 strikeouts/176 innings) and Trevor Bauer (214 strikeouts/166 innings). This makes the Indians just the fourth team in MLB history with three pitchers notching 200 or more whiffs in the same season.
The others are:
- 1967 Minnesota Twins: Dean Chance (220 Ks), Jim Kaat (211), Dave Boswell (204);
- 1969 Astros: Don Wilson (235), Larry Dierker (222), Tom Griffin (200);
- 2013 Tigers: Max Scherzer (240), Justin Verlander (217), Anibel Sanchez (202).
Now, perhaps, the even bigger news. A fourth Indians’ starter – Mike Clevinger – currently stands at 196 strikeouts in 188 1/3 innings – which means MLB will likely soon see the first team ever with four pitchers notching 200 or more strikeouts in the same season.
Special thanks to Baseball Roundtable reader Benjamin Thobe for alerting BBRT to the Indians’ march toward the new record.
Side note: The Houston Astros should end the season with three 200+ strikeout pitchers. Currently, Justin Verlander stands at 269 strikeouts, Gerrit Cole at 260 and Charlie Morton at 195.
For an earlier post with more detail on the first three teams to have three 200K starters in the same season, click here.
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Member: Society for American Baseball Research; The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
The Indians did it—four pitchers with at least 200 strikeouts. Mike Clevinger just got his 200th strikeout, joining Trevor Bauer, Carlos Carrasco, and Cory Kluber. New MLB record.