most strikeouts by a pitcher in a game by an active player

Max Scherzer has struck out the most batters by an active pitcher in a game, with 20 strikeouts versus the Tigers on May 11, 2016.

Interpreted as:
most strikeouts by a pitcher in a regular-season game by an active player
NAME SO DATE TM OPP DEC GS ERA CG SHO SV IP H ER R HR BB HBP GF IBB TBF WP
1 Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
20
5/11/2016
WSH WSH
vs
DET DET
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
6
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
33
0
2 Chris Sale
C. Sale
17
5/14/2019
BOS BOS
vs
COL COL
1
2.57
0
0
0
7.0
3
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
24
0
3 Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
17
10/3/2015
WSH WSH
@
NYM NYM
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
28
0
4 Spencer Strider
S. Strider
16
9/1/2022
ATL ATL
vs
COL COL
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
27
0
5 Walker Buehler
W. Buehler
16
6/21/2019
LAD LAD
vs
COL COL
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
30
0
6 Gerrit Cole
G. Cole
16
5/4/2018
HOU HOU
@
ARI ARI
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
29
0
7 Jon Gray
J. Gray
16
9/17/2016
COL COL
vs
SDP SDP
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
31
0
8 Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
16
6/14/2015
WSH WSH
@
MIL MIL
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
29
0
9 Blake Snell
B. Snell
15
7/27/2024
SFG SFG
vs
COL COL
1
0.00
0
0
0
6.0
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
22
1
10 Gerrit Cole
G. Cole
15
9/1/2021
NYY NYY
@
LAA LAA
W
1
1.29
0
0
0
7.0
4
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
25
0
11 Corbin Burnes
C. Burnes
15
8/11/2021
MIL MIL
@
CHC CHC
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
27
0
12 Jacob deGrom
J. deGrom
15
4/23/2021
NYM NYM
vs
WSH WSH
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
29
0
13 Gerrit Cole
G. Cole
15
9/8/2019
HOU HOU
vs
SEA SEA
W
1
1.13
0
0
0
8.0
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
25
0
14 Walker Buehler
W. Buehler
15
8/3/2019
LAD LAD
vs
SDP SDP
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
5
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
31
1
15 Justin Verlander
J. Verlander
15
6/12/2019
HOU HOU
vs
MIL MIL
1
3.86
0
0
0
7.0
4
3
3
3
0
0
0
0
25
0
16 Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
15
6/2/2019
WSH WSH
@
CIN CIN
W
1
1.13
0
0
0
8.0
3
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
29
0
17 Shane Bieber
S. Bieber
15
5/19/2019
CLE CLE
vs
BAL BAL
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
31
0
18 Chris Sale
C. Sale
15
5/11/2018
BOS BOS
@
TOR TOR
1
3.00
0
0
0
9.0
6
3
3
1
0
0
0
0
33
0
19 Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
15
5/6/2018
WSH WSH
vs
PHI PHI
1
1.42
0
0
0
6.1
5
1
1
0
2
1
0
1
26
0
20 Clayton Kershaw
C. Kershaw
15
9/2/2015
LAD LAD
vs
SFG SFG
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
6
1
1
0
1
0
0
0
32
0
21 Chris Sale
C. Sale
15
8/16/2015
CWS CWS
vs
CHC CHC
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
7.0
1
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
26
0
22 Clayton Kershaw
C. Kershaw
15
6/18/2014
LAD LAD
vs
COL COL
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
28
0
23 Yu Darvish
Y. Darvish
15
8/12/2013
TEX TEX
@
HOU HOU
W
1
1.13
0
0
0
8.0
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
26
0
24 Chris Sale
C. Sale
15
5/28/2012
CWS CWS
@
TBR TBR
W
1
1.23
0
0
0
7.1
3
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
27
0
25 Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
15
5/20/2012
DET DET
vs
PIT PIT
W
1
2.57
0
0
0
7.0
4
2
2
2
1
0
0
0
26
0
Results may be incomplete. StatMuse has complete game-level data for strikeouts going back to the 1901 season.
Some of the information used here was obtained free of charge from Retrosheet.

More Nationals Stats

Team Rankings

HR

38

15th

R

162

14th

SO

294

18th

ERA

5.30

27th

2025 Division Standings
TEAM W L PCT GB
Mets Mets
23
14
.622
Phillies Phillies
20
15
.571
2.0
Braves Braves
17
18
.486
5.0
Nationals Nationals
17
20
.459
6.0
Marlins Marlins
14
21
.400
8.0
Schedule
DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Wed
5/7
CLE CLE
@
WSH WSH
12:05 PM
Fri
5/9
STL STL
@
WSH WSH
6:45 PM
Sat
5/10
STL STL
@
WSH WSH
4:05 PM
Sun
5/11
STL STL
@
WSH WSH
1:35 PM
Mon
5/12
WSH WSH
@
ATL ATL
7:15 PM
Last Game
WSH Nationals

17 - 20

1

Final

9

CLE Guardians

21 - 15

Tue 6 May 2025

MLB 2025 Batting Leaders

MLB 2025 Pitching Leaders

MLB Fantasy 2025

MLB 2025 Betting

MLB 2025 Division Standings

NL East W L PCT GB
Mets Mets
23
14
.622
Phillies Phillies
20
15
.571
2.0
NL Central W L PCT GB
Cubs Cubs
22
15
.595
Brewers Brewers
19
18
.514
3.0
NL West W L PCT GB
Dodgers Dodgers
24
12
.667
Padres Padres
23
12
.657
0.5
AL East W L PCT GB
Yankees Yankees
20
16
.556
Red Sox Red Sox
18
19
.486
2.5
AL Central W L PCT GB
Tigers Tigers
22
13
.629
Guardians Guardians
21
15
.583
1.5
AL West W L PCT GB
Mariners Mariners
21
14
.600
Athletics Athletics
20
17
.541
2.0

MLB 2025 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATE MATCHUP SCORE
Mon
4/21
NYY NYY
@
CLE CLE
2-3
Mon
4/21
SDP SDP
@
DET DET
2-0
Mon
4/21
CIN CIN
@
MIA MIA
3-4
Mon
4/21
SEA SEA
@
BOS BOS
3-8
Mon
4/21
BAL BAL
@
WSH WSH
0-7

Schedule

DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Wed
5/7
CLE CLE
@
WSH WSH
12:05 PM
Wed
5/7
HOU HOU
@
MIL MIL
1:10 PM
Wed
5/7
PIT PIT
@
STL STL
1:15 PM
Wed
5/7
SFG SFG
@
CHC CHC
2:20 PM
Wed
5/7
SEA SEA
@
ATH ATH
3:35 PM