List of major league Baseball single - game strikeout Leaders - wikipedia List of major league Baseball single - game strikeout Leaders Roger Clemens ( Up ) and Randy Johnson ( Down ) are the only pitchers to strike out 18 or more batters in a nine - inning game on three separate occasions. 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 as of 2016, 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. ( Tom Cheney struckout 21 in a 16 - 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. Out of the twenty pitchers who have accomplished the feat, fifteen were right - handed and five pitched left - handed. Five of these players have played for only one major league team. Five pitchers -- Steve Carlton, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver -- 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. These requirements leave two players ineligible who are active, two players ineligible who are living and have played in the past five seasons, and five who did not play in 10 major league seasons. Contents 1 Players 1.1 18 strikeouts in extra-inning games 2 See also 3 Notes 4 References 5 External links Players Kerry Wood tied Roger Clemens ' major league record of 20 strikeouts in a nine - inning game on May 6, 1998. Sandy Koufax is one of six pitchers who have 18 strikeouts in a game to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Bob Feller was the first player to achieve 18 strikeouts in a game during the live - ball era. Max Scherzer tied Kerry Wood and Roger Clemens ' major league record of 20 strikeouts in a nine - inning game on May 11, 2016. Nolan Ryan amassed 18 or more strikeouts in a nine - inning game twice, as well as 19 strikeouts in extra-inning games three times. Key Pitcher Name of the pitcher Date Date of the game Team The player 's team at the time of the game Opposing team The team against whom the pitcher struck out 18 players Score Final score of the game, with the player 's team score listed first Strikeouts Number of strikeouts the pitcher recorded Career Ks Career strikeouts Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame * Player is active Indicates the player 's team lost the game MLB pitchers with 18 strikeouts in a nine - inning game Pitcher Date Team Opposing team Score Strikeouts Career Ks Refs Max Scherzer May 11, 2016 Washington Nationals Detroit Tigers 3 -- 2 20 2,149 Kerry Wood May 6, 1998 Chicago Cubs Houston Astros 2 -- 0 20 1,582 Roger Clemens September 18, 1996 Boston Red Sox Detroit Tigers 4 -- 0 20 4,672 Roger Clemens April 29, 1986 Boston Red Sox Seattle Mariners 3 -- 1 20 4,672 Randy Johnson August 8, 1997 Seattle Mariners Chicago White Sox 5 -- 0 19 4,875 Randy Johnson June 24, 1997 Seattle Mariners Oakland Athletics 1 -- 4 19 4,875 David Cone October 6, 1991 New York Mets Philadelphia Phillies 7 -- 0 19 2,668 Nolan Ryan August 12, 1974 California Angels Boston Red Sox 4 -- 2 19 5,714 Tom Seaver April 22, 1970 New York Mets San Diego Padres 2 -- 1 19 3,640 Steve Carlton September 15, 1969 St. Louis Cardinals New York Mets 3 -- 4 19 4,136 Hugh Daily July 7, 1884 Chicago Browns Boston Reds 10 -- 4 19 846 Charlie Sweeney June 7, 1884 Providence Grays Boston Beaneaters 2 -- 1 19 505 Corey Kluber May 13, 2015 Cleveland Indians St. Louis Cardinals 2 -- 0 18 1,201 Ben Sheets May 16, 2004 Milwaukee Brewers Atlanta Braves 4 -- 1 18 1,325 Roger Clemens August 25, 1998 Toronto Blue Jays Kansas City Royals 3 -- 0 18 4,672 Randy Johnson September 27, 1992 Seattle Mariners Texas Rangers 2 -- 3 18 4,875 Ramón Martínez June 4, 1990 Los Angeles Dodgers Atlanta Braves 6 -- 0 18 1,427 Bill Gullickson September 10, 1980 Montreal Expos Chicago Cubs 4 -- 2 18 1,279 Ron Guidry June 17, 1978 New York Yankees California Angels 4 -- 0 18 1,778 Nolan Ryan September 10, 1976 California Angels Chicago White Sox 3 -- 2 18 5,714 Don Wilson July 14, 1968 Houston Astros Cincinnati Reds 6 -- 1 18 1,283 Sandy Koufax April 24, 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers Chicago Cubs 10 -- 2 18 2,396 Sandy Koufax August 31, 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers San Francisco Giants 5 -- 2 18 2,396 Bob Feller October 2, 1938 Cleveland Indians Detroit Tigers 1 -- 4 18 2,581 Henry Porter October 3, 1884 Milwaukee Brewers Boston Reds 4 -- 5 18 659 Dupee Shaw July 19, 1884 Boston Reds St. Louis Maroons 0 -- 1 18 950 18 strikeouts in extra-inning games Seven 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. Key IP Innings pitched by the pitcher in the game MLB pitchers with 18 strikeouts in an extra-inning game Pitcher Date Team Opposing team Score Strikeouts IP Career Ks Refs Tom Cheney September 12, 1962 Washington Senators Baltimore Orioles 2 -- 1 21 16 345 Randy Johnson May 8, 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks Cincinnati Reds 4 -- 3 20 9 4,875 Luis Tiant July 3, 1968 Cleveland Indians Minnesota Twins 1 -- 0 19 10 2,416 Nolan Ryan June 14, 1974 California Angels Boston Red Sox 4 -- 3 19 13 5,714 Nolan Ryan August 20, 1974 California Angels Detroit Tigers 0 -- 1 19 11 5,714 Nolan Ryan June 8, 1977 California Angels Toronto Blue Jays 2 -- 1 19 10 5,714 Warren Spahn June 14, 1952 Boston Braves Chicago Cubs 1 -- 3 18 15 2,583 Chris Short October 2, 1965 Philadelphia Phillies New York Mets 0 -- 0 18 15 1,629 Jim Maloney June 14, 1965 Cincinnati Reds New York Mets 0 -- 1 18 11 1,605 See also Baseball portal 3,000 strikeout club Notes Jump up ^ 18 strikeouts is utilized as the benchmark because it signifies approximately ​ ⁄ of a nine - inning game 's 27 outs were made by a single pitcher via a strikeout ( `` approximately '' due to the fact that a pitcher can record more than three strikeouts in an inning with the uncaught third strike rule ). Jump up ^ Although the game went into extra innings ( 11 total ), Johnson was relieved by Byung - hyun Kim after nine innings. References Jump up ^ `` Guide to baseball ''. BBC News. BBC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Official Baseball Rules '' ( PDF ). MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. 2012. Retrieved March 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Official Rules : 6.00 -- The Batter ''. MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved March 6, 2013. Jump up ^ Collier, Jamal ( May 12, 2016 ). `` Roaring 20 ! Max Ties K Mark, Mauls Tigers ''. MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved May 12, 2016. Jump up ^ Caruso, Gary ( October 25, 1995 ). The Braves Encyclopedia. Temple University Press. p. 15. ISBN 9781566393843. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Goldstein, Richard ( December 15, 2010 ). `` Bob Feller, Whose Fastball Dazzled, Dies at 92 ''. The New York Times. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Blevins, Dave ( December 23, 2011 ). The Sports Hall of Fame Encyclopedia : Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer. Scarecrow Press. p. 15. ISBN 9781461673705. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Allen, Maury ( May 8, 1961 ). `` The 18 Strikeouts Of Bob Feller ''. Sports Illustrated. CNN. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Career Leaders & Records for Strikeouts ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Bill Gullickson Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Kerry Wood Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Bock, Hal ( April 23, 1970 ). `` Seaver Fans 19 ''. Ocala Star - Banner. Associated Press. p. 2B. Retrieved March 4, 2013. Jump up ^ Costello, Brian ( June 22, 2008 ). `` Terr - whiff - ic ! Seaver Ties Record With 19 Strikeouts ''. New York Post. p. 87. Retrieved March 5, 2013. ( subscription required ) Jump up ^ `` Baseball Hall of Fame Inductees ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Rules for Election ''. National Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 6, 2012. Jump up ^ `` May 11, 2016 Detroit Tigers at Washington Nationals Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 11, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Max Scherzer Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 12, 2016. Jump up ^ `` May 6, 1998 Houston Astros at Chicago Cubs Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 6, 1998. Retrieved December 8, 2012. Jump up ^ `` September 18, 1996 Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. September 18, 1996. Retrieved September 5, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Roger Clemens Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` April 29, 1986 Seattle Mariners at Boston Red Sox Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. April 29, 1986. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` August 8, 1997 Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. August 8, 1997. Retrieved December 9, 2012. ^ Jump up to : `` Randy Johnson Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` June 24, 1997 Oakland Athletics at Seattle Mariners Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 24, 1997. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` October 6, 1991 New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. October 6, 1991. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` David Cone Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` August 12, 1974 Boston Red Sox at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. August 12, 1974. Retrieved September 5, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Nolan Ryan Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` April 22, 1970 San Diego Padres at New York Mets Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. April 22, 1970. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tom Seaver Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` September 15, 1969 New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. September 15, 1969. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Steve Carlton Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Vaccaro, Frank. `` Hugh Daily ''. The Baseball Biography Project. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Hugh Daily Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Ballplayers -- Charlie Sweeney ''. BaseballLibrary.com. Baseball Library. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Charlie Sweeney Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` May 13, 2015 St. Louis Cardinals at Cleveland Indians Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 13, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Corey Kluber Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved May 15, 2015. Jump up ^ `` May 16, 2004 Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 16, 2004. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Ben Sheets Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` August 25, 1998 Kansas City Royals at Toronto Blue Jays Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. August 25, 1998. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` September 27, 1992 Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. September 27, 1992. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` June 4, 1990 Atlanta Braves at Los Angeles Dodgers Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 4, 1990. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Ramon Martinez Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` September 10, 1980 Chicago Cubs at Montreal Expos Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. September 10, 1980. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` June 17, 1978 California Angels at New York Yankees Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 17, 1978. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Ron Guidry Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` September 10, 1976 California Angels at Chicago White Sox Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. September 10, 1976. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` July 14, 1968 Houston Astros at Cincinnati Reds Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. July 14, 1968. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Don Wilson Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` April 24, 1962 Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. April 24, 1962. Retrieved September 5, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Sandy Koufax Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` August 31, 1959 San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. August 31, 1959. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` October 2, 1938 Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. October 2, 1938. Retrieved September 5, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Bob Feller Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ Bevis, Charlie. `` George Bignell ''. The Baseball Biography Project. Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Henry Porter Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Early Records Of Lou Gehrig While At College Minus ''. The Lewiston Daily Sun. April 16, 1929. p. 11. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Dupee Shaw Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved December 1, 2012. Jump up ^ `` September 12, 1962 Washington Senators at Baltimore Orioles Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. September 12, 1962. Retrieved January 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Tom Cheney Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 26, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` May 8, 2001 Cincinnati Reds at Arizona Diamondbacks Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 8, 2001. Retrieved January 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` July 3, 1968 Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. July 3, 1968. Retrieved January 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Luis Tiant Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 26, 2013. Jump up ^ `` June 14, 1974 Boston Red Sox at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 14, 1974. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` August 20, 1974 Detroit Tigers at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. August 20, 1974. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` June 8, 1977 Toronto Blue Jays at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 8, 1977. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` June 14, 1952 Chicago Cubs at Boston Braves Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 14, 1952. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Warren Spahn Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` October 2, 1965 Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. October 2, 1965. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Chris Short Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` June 14, 1965 New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds Play by Play and Box Score ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. June 14, 1965. Retrieved February 28, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Jim Maloney Statistics and History ''. Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 28, 2013. External links Top Individual Performances -- List Retrosheet ( scroll down ) hide Major League Baseball records Baseball statistics ( types of records ) General Record holders Single - game records Single - season records Record breakers by season Records considered unbreakable Titles leaders Batting leaders Career Batting average On - base percentage Times on base Slugging percentage OPS Hits 3,000 club Progressive Singles Doubles Triples Home runs 500 club Progressive Extra base hits RBIs Total bases Walks Intentional HBP Strikeouts Games played At - bats Plate appearances Annual Batting average Doubles Triples Home runs RBI Season Batting average Triples Home run Progressive Game Home runs Hitting for the cycle Grand slams RBI Game Inning Hits Misc Consecutive game hitting streak On - base plus slugging Hits Home runs Doubles Triples RBIs Baserunning leaders Career Runs Stolen bases Annual Runs Stolen bases Game Runs Misc Runs Stolen bases Pitching leaders Career Wins 300 club Losses Games started Games finished Innings pitched Strikeouts 3,000 club Saves Complete games Shutouts ERA WHIP Walks Hit batsmen Wild pitches Batters faced Annual Wins Saves Shutouts Strikeouts ERA Game No - hitter Perfect game List of perfect games Strikeouts Game Inning Immaculate innings Misc Wins Fielding leaders Career Putouts 1B 2B SS 3B OF LF CF RF Errors 1B 2B SS 3B OF LF Assists Passed balls Annual Putouts Errors Managing records Wins and winning percentage Multiple stat records Triple Crown 20 -- 20 -- 20 club 30 -- 30 club 40 -- 40 club Other Consecutive games played Longest winning streaks Longest losing streaks Individual streaks Titles streaks Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Major_League_Baseball_single-game_strikeout_leaders&oldid=847366899 '' Categories : Major League Baseball records Major League Baseball lists Baseball pitching Hidden categories : Pages containing links to subscription - only content Featured lists Articles with hCards Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Português Edit links This page was last edited on 24 June 2018, at 20 : 48 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: who holds the record for strikeouts in a game
Answer: Tom Cheney