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 against 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 Grant Holmes
G. Holmes
15
6/15/2025
ATL ATL
vs
COL COL
L
1
2.84
0
0
0
6.1
3
2
3
1
2
1
0
0
24
0
10 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
11 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
12 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
13 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
14 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
15 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
16 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
17 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
18 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
19 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
20 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
21 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
22 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
23 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
24 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
25 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
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

84

17th

R

357

15th

SO

646

22nd

ERA

4.99

28th

2025 Division Standings
TEAM W L PCT GB
Phillies Phillies
48
34
.585
Mets Mets
48
35
.578
0.5
Braves Braves
37
44
.457
10.5
Marlins Marlins
35
45
.438
12.0
Nationals Nationals
34
48
.415
14.0
Schedule
DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Sat
6/28
WSH WSH
@
LAA LAA
9:38 PM
Sun
6/29
WSH WSH
@
LAA LAA
4:07 PM
Tue
7/1
DET DET
@
WSH WSH
6:45 PM
Wed
7/2
DET DET
@
WSH WSH
6:45 PM
Thu
7/3
DET DET
@
WSH WSH
6:45 PM
Last Game
LAA Angels

40 - 41

9

Final

15

WSH Nationals

34 - 48

Fri 27 Jun 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
Phillies Phillies
48
34
.585
Mets Mets
48
35
.578
0.5
NL Central W L PCT GB
Cubs Cubs
48
34
.585
Brewers Brewers
46
36
.561
2.0
NL West W L PCT GB
Dodgers Dodgers
52
31
.627
Giants Giants
45
37
.549
6.5
AL East W L PCT GB
Yankees Yankees
47
34
.580
Rays Rays
46
36
.561
1.5
AL Central W L PCT GB
Tigers Tigers
51
32
.614
Guardians Guardians
40
40
.500
9.5
AL West W L PCT GB
Astros Astros
49
33
.598
Mariners Mariners
42
39
.519
6.5

MLB 2025 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATE MATCHUP SCORE
Thu
6/12
PIT PIT
@
CHC CHC
2-1
Thu
6/12
TOR TOR
@
PHI PHI
0-8
Thu
6/12
MIA MIA
@
WSH WSH
11-9
Thu
6/12
LAA LAA
@
BAL BAL
0-2
Thu
6/12
NYY NYY
@
BOS BOS
1-2

Schedule

DATE MATCHUP TIME (ET)
Sat
6/28
ATH ATH
@
NYY NYY
1:05 PM
Sat
6/28
MIN MIN
@
DET DET
1:10 PM
Sat
6/28
NYM NYM
@
PIT PIT
4:05 PM
Sat
6/28
TBR TBR
@
BAL BAL
4:05 PM
Sat
6/28
SEA SEA
@
TEX TEX
4:05 PM