Photo by Keith Allison 
On September 20, as the Red Sox topped the Orioles in Baltimore by a 9-0 score, Boston ace Chris Sale picked up his 17th win of the season (versus seven losses). He went eight innings giving up four hits, no walks and fanning 13. The final whiff of the game (Ryan Flaherty for the third out in the bottom of the eighth inning) was Sale’s 300th strikeout of the season. This made Sale just the 39th MLB pitcher overall – and just the 16th since 1900 – to record a 300-strikeout season. It was also just the 66th season of 300 or more MLB strikeouts chalked up overall – and just the 35th since 1900.
This led Baseball Roundtable to take a look at the national pastime’s roster of 300-strikeout pitchers – and, one thing became clear, Randy “TheBig Unit” Johnson is their King – holding or sharing a host of 300K records (ranging from most 300K seasons to most consecutive 300K seasons to reaching 300K in the fewest stars in a season). Read on to learn about those marks and more. 
As you can see, the chart above is divided into pre-1900 and since-1900 categories. There is good reason to look at the modern-day (versus the pre-1900) record. The game was simply a lot different in its early days. Consider the fact that of the 300+ strikeout seasons recorded since 1883, 15 (about 23 percent) took place in 1884. (At that time, the National League, American Association and Union Association were considered “major leagues.”) Since 1900, no season has seen more than two pitchers achieve 300 strikeouts.
A look at the 1884 MLB leader board give a solid indication of how much more likely a 300-strikeout season was in that era. Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn led all pitchers in starts with 73 (he completed them all) and innings pitched (678 2/3). In fact, it took 523 innings pitched just to make the top ten. It’s little wonder 1884 saw 15 hurlers reach the 300K mark.
300+ Strikeout Seasons by Decade:
1883-89 … 27 1940-49 … 1
1890-99 … 4 1950-59 … 0
1900-09 … 2 1960-69 … 4
1910-19 … 2 1970-79 … 11*
1920-29 … 0 1980-89 … 2
1930-39 … 0 1990-99 … 7**
2000-09 … 4
2010-17 … 2
*Let’s call this the Nolan Ryan era.
** The Randy Johnson era.
For fun, let’s take a look at some of the game’s strikeouts records.
- Along the way to his 300 strikeouts, Chris Sale had one streak of eight consecutive games with ten or more strikeouts (April 10-May 19) – tying the MLB record (which he already shared with Pedro Martinez – Red Sox 1999). Sale also had an eight-game streak of ten or more whiffs for the White Sox in 2015.
Chris Sale’s 13-strikeout game of September 20th was his 18th 2017 game with 10 or more whiffs. Wondering about the record for a single season? It’s 23, accomplished once in the AL (Nolan Ryan – 1973) and three times in the NL (Randy Johnson – 1999, 2000, 2001).
- Randy Johnson and Nolan Ryan share the record for the most 300+ strikeout seasons at six.
- The only two pitchers to record a 300-strikeout season in both the American League and National League are: Randy Johnson (Diamondbacks and Mariners) and Pedro Martinez (Expos and Red Sox).
Photo by SD Dirk
Randy Johnson is the only player since 1900 to record a 300-strikeout season while playing for two teams in single season. In 1998, Johnson started the season with the Seattle Mariners and was traded (right at the July 31 trade deadline) to the Houston Astros for Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen and a player to be named later (John Halama). At the time of the trade, the Big Unit was 9-10, 4.33 with Seattle – with 213 strikeouts in 160 innings. He helped the Astros win the NL Central Division title, starting 11 games and going 10-1, 1.28 – with 116 punch outs in 84 1/3 innings. This also gives Johnson the distinction of the being the only hurler with a 300-strikeout season split between the AL and NL. Side note: In 1884, four players recorded 300+ strikeout seasons, while splitting time among two teams. If your interest runs that deep, see the list at the end of this post.)
- Chris Sale reached his 300th strikeout in his 31st game of 2017. Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks made it to the 300K mark the fastest – in 28 games in 2001. Johnson finished 2001 with 372 strikeouts in 35 games (34 starts) and 260 innings pitched.
- Only twice has one team had two 300+ strikeout pitchers in the same season – and one of those needs an asterisk. In 2002, Randy Johnson (there’s his name again) and Curt Schilling of the Diamondbacks fanned 324 and 316 batters, respectively. Back in 1884, Old Hoss Radbourn of the Providence Grays fanned 441. His teammate Charlie Sweeney fanned 337 batters, but only 145 with Providence (the remaining 192 were with the Union Association St. Louis Maroons).
- Randy Johnson holds the record for consecutive 300-strikeout seasons at five (1998-2002); all for the Diamondbacks. Others with consecutive 300-whiff campaigns: Nolan Ryan (1972-74 and 1976-77, Angels); Amos Rusie (1890-92, Giants); Curt Schilling (1997-98, Phillies); J.R. Richard (1978-79, Astros); Rube Waddell (1903-04, Athletics); Toad Ramsey (1886-87, Louisville of the American Association); John Clarkson (1885-86, Chicago of the National League); Tim Keefe (1883-84, NY Metropolitans of the American Association); Old Hoss Radbourn (1883-84, Providence Grays of the National League).
- Larry McKeon was the youngest player ever to record a 300+ strikeout season – fanning 308 as an 18-year-old rookie with the American Association Indianapolis Hoosiers in 1884. McKeon, by the way, went 18-41 that season, with a 3.05 ERA (512 innings pitched). The next year, he fanned only 117 (290 innings), but improved to 20-13, 2.86.
- Nolan Ryan is the oldest pitcher to ever record a 300+ strikeout season, fanning 301 batters for the Texas Rangers (1989) as a 42-year-old. He went 16-10 that year, with a 3.20 ERA (32 starts, 239 1/3 innings pitched).
- Players who have recorded 300-strikeout campaigns with multiple teams include: Curt Schilling (Diamondbacks and Phillies); Pedro Martinez (Expos and Red Sox); Nolan Ryan (Angels and Rangers); Randy Johnson (Diamondbacks, Mariners); Tim Keefe (New York Giants of the NL and New York Metropolitans of the American Association); Ed Morris (Pittsburgh and Columbus of the American Association).
KILROY WAS HERE
Matt Kilroy holds the record for the strikeouts in a season – 513 in 1886, for the Baltimore Orioles of the American Association. As a 20-year-old rookie, the 5’9”, 175-pound southpaw completed 66 of 68 starts, going 29-34 with a 3.37 ERA and 513 strikeouts in 583 innings pitched. The following season (still with Baltimore), Kilroy went 46-19, 3.07 – but fanned only 217 batters in 589 1/3 innings. He pitched ten MLB seasons, going 141-133, 3.47. The modern-era record belongs to Nolan Ryan who fanned 383 batters for the Angels in 1983. Ryan went 21-16, 2.87 that season – and fanned his 383 batters in 326 innings.
- In 1904, Rube Waddell fanned a then (post-1900) record 349 batters – a mark which stood until 1965, when the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax fanned 382. Waddell held the AL season strikeout record until 1973, when Nolan Ryan fanned 383 for the Angels. How good was Waddell? When he fanned 349 in 1904, the next best total was 239. Elected to the to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946, Waddell was considered one of the most talented and eccentric MLB players ever, For more on Waddell, his baseball skills and his antics, BBRT suggests: Rube Waddell: The Zany, Brilliant Life of a Strikeout Artist, by Allan Howard Levy and Just a Big Kid: The Life and Times of Rube Waddell, by Paul Proia.
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Three-hundred (or more) Strikeouts in a Season – A (reverse) Chronological List
2017
Chris Sale Red Sox (AL) 300
2015
Clayton Kershaw Dodgers (NL) 301
2002
Curt Schilling Diamondbacks (NL) 316
Randy Johnson Diamondbacks (NL) 334
2001
Randy Johnson Diamondbacks (NL) 372
2000
Randy Johnson Diamondbacks (NL) 347
1999
Randy Johnson Diamondbacks (AL) 364
Pedro Martinez Red Sox (AL) 313
1998
Randy Johnson Mariners (AL)/Astros (NL) 329
Curt Schilling Phillies (NL) 300
1997
Curt Schilling Phillies (NL) 319
Pedro Martinez Expos (NL) 305
1993
Randy Johnson Mariners (AL) 308
1989
Nolan Ryan Rangers (AL) 301
1986
Mike Scott Astros (NL) 306
1979
J.R. Richard Astros (NL) 313
1978
J.R. Richard Astros (NL) 303
1977
Nolan Ryan Angels (AL) 341
1976
Nolan Ryan Angels (AL) 327
1974
Nolan Ryan Angels (AL) 367
1973
Nolan Ryan Angels (AL) 383
1972
Nolan Ryan Angels (AL) 329
Steve Carlton Phillies (NL) 310
1971
Mickey Lolich Tigers (AL) 308
Vida Blue A’s (AL) 301
1970
Sam McDowell Indians (AL) 304
1966
Sandy Koufax Dodgers (NL) 317
1965
Sandy Koufax Dodgers (NL) 382
Sam McDowell Indians (AL) 325
1963
Sandy Koufax Dodgers (NL) 306
1946
Bob Feller Indians (AL) 348
1912
Walter Johnson Senators (AL) 303
1910
Walter Johnson Senators (AL) 313
1904
Rube Waddell Athletics (AL) 349
1903
Rube Waddell Athletics (AL) 302
1892
Bill Hutchinson Chicago Colts (NL) 314
Amos Rusie Giants (NL) 304
1891
Amos Rusie Giants (NL) 337
1890
Amos Rusie Giants (NL) 341
1889
Mark Baldwin Columbus Solons (AA) 368
1888
Tim Keefe Giants (NL) 335
1887
Toad Ramsey Louisville Colonels (AA) 355
1886
Matt Kilroy Balt. Orioles (AA) 513
Toad Ramsey Louisville Colonels (AA) 499
Ed Morris Pittsburgh Alleghenys (AA) 326
Lady Baldwin Detroit Wolverines (NL) 323
John Clarkson Chic. White Stockings (NL) 313
1885
John Clarkson Chic. White Stockings (NL) 308
1884
Hugh Daily Chi./Pitt. (UA) 483
Dupee Shaw Det. (NL)/Bost.(UA) 451
Old Hoss Radbourn Providence Grays (NL) 441
Charlie Buffinton Boston Beaneaters (NL) 417
Guy Hecker Louisville Colonels (AA) 385
Bill Sweeney Balt. Monumentals (UA) 374
Pud Galvin Buffalo Bisons (NL) 369
Hardie Henderson Baltimore Orioles (AA) 346
Mickey Welch Giants (NL) 345
Jim McCormick Cleveland (NL)/Cinc. (UA) 343
Charlie Sweeney Providence (NL)/St.L. (UA) 337
Tim Keefe NY Metropolitans (AA) 334
Tony Mullane Toledo Blue Stockings (AA) 325
Larry McKeon Ind. Hoosiers ((AA) 308
Ed Morris Columbus Buckeyes (AA) 302
1883
Tim Keefe NY Metropolitans (AA) 359
Jim Whitney Boston Beaneaters (NL) 345
Old Hoss Radbourn Providence Grays (NL) 315
Primary Sources: The ESPB Baseball Encyclopedia; Baseball-Reference.com; Baseball-Almanac.com
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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; Baseball Bloggers Alliance.
