most strikeouts by a pitcher in a single game

Tom Cheney has struck out the most batters in a game, with 21 strikeouts against the Orioles on September 12, 1962.

Interpreted as:
most strikeouts by a pitcher in a single regular-season game
NAMESODATETMOPPDECGSERACGSHOSVIPHERRHRBBHBPGFIBBTBFWP
1Tom Cheney
T. Cheney
21
9/12/1962
@
W
1
0.56
1
0
0
16.0
10
1
1
0
4
0
0
0
62
1
2Max Scherzer
M. Scherzer
20
5/11/2016
vs
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
6
2
2
2
0
0
0
0
33
0
3Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
20
5/8/2001
vs
1
1.00
0
0
0
9.0
3
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
29
0
4Kerry Wood
K. Wood
20
5/6/1998
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
29
0
5Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
20
9/18/1996
@
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
32
1
6Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
20
4/29/1986
vs
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
30
0
7Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
19
8/8/1997
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
5
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
35
0
8Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
19
6/24/1997
vs
L
1
4.00
1
0
0
9.0
11
4
4
2
0
0
0
0
37
0
9David Cone
D. Cone
19
10/6/1991
@
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
31
0
10Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
19
6/8/1977
vs
1
0.00
0
0
0
10.0
6
0
1
0
5
0
0
1
41
2
11Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
19
8/20/1974
vs
L
1
0.82
1
0
0
11.0
4
1
1
0
5
0
0
0
41
0
12Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
19
8/12/1974
vs
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
7
2
2
0
2
0
0
0
36
1
13Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
19
6/14/1974
vs
1
2.08
0
0
0
13.0
8
3
3
1
10
0
0
0
58
0
14Tom Seaver
T. Seaver
19
4/22/1970
vs
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
2
1
1
1
2
0
0
0
31
0
15Steve Carlton
S. Carlton
19
9/15/1969
vs
L
1
4.00
1
0
0
9.0
9
4
4
2
2
0
0
0
38
1
16Luis Tiant
L. Tiant
19
7/3/1968
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
10.0
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
36
0
17Corey Kluber
C. Kluber
18
5/13/2015
vs
W
1
0.00
0
0
0
8.0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
26
0
18Ben Sheets
B. Sheets
18
5/16/2004
vs
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
31
0
19Roger Clemens
R. Clemens
18
8/25/1998
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
30
0
20Randy Johnson
R. Johnson
18
9/27/1992
@
1
2.25
0
0
0
8.0
6
2
2
0
4
0
0
0
34
0
21Ramon Martinez
R. Martinez
18
6/4/1990
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
31
0
22Bill Gullickson
B. Gullickson
18
9/10/1980
vs
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
4
2
2
0
2
0
0
0
33
1
23Ron Guidry
R. Guidry
18
6/17/1978
vs
W
1
0.00
1
1
0
9.0
4
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
33
0
24Nolan Ryan
N. Ryan
18
9/10/1976
@
W
1
2.00
1
0
0
9.0
3
2
2
0
9
0
0
0
41
0
25Don Wilson
D. Wilson
18
7/14/1968
@
W
1
1.00
1
0
0
9.0
5
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
33
1
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 MLB News

More Rangers Stats

Team Batting Leaders

HR

8

Burger

Jake Burger

RBI

31

Burger

Jake Burger

AVG

.298

Jung

Josh Jung
Team Pitching Leaders

W

5

Eovaldi

Nathan Eovaldi

K

61

deGrom

Jacob deGrom

ERA

3.02

deGrom

Jacob deGrom
Team Rankings

HR

43

22nd

R

177

28th

SO

394

16th

ERA

3.58

5th

2026 Division Standings
TEAMWLPCTGB
23
24
.489
23
26
.469
1.0
Rangers Rangers
22
25
.468
1.0
19
30
.388
5.0
17
31
.354
6.5
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Tue
5/19
@
8:40 PM
Wed
5/20
@
3:10 PM
Fri
5/22
@
9:38 PM
Sat
5/23
@
10:05 PM
Sun
5/24
@
7:20 PM
Last Game
TEX Rangers

22 - 25

6

Final

7

COL Rockies

19 - 29

Mon 18 May 2026

MLB 2026 Batting Leaders

MLB 2026 Pitching Leaders

MLB Fantasy 2026

MLB 2026 Betting

MLB 2026 Standings

NL EastWLPCTGB
32
16
.667
25
23
.521
7.0
23
25
.479
9.0
22
26
.458
10.0
21
26
.447
10.5
NL CentralWLPCTGB
29
19
.604
27
18
.600
0.5
27
19
.587
1.0
24
23
.511
4.5
24
24
.500
5.0
NL WestWLPCTGB
29
18
.617
29
19
.604
0.5
23
23
.500
5.5
20
28
.417
9.5
19
29
.396
10.5
AL EastWLPCTGB
31
15
.674
29
19
.604
3.0
21
26
.447
10.5
21
27
.438
11.0
20
27
.426
11.5
AL CentralWLPCTGB
27
22
.551
24
23
.511
2.0
22
26
.458
4.5
20
28
.417
6.5
20
28
.417
6.5
AL WestWLPCTGB
23
24
.489
23
26
.469
1.0
22
25
.468
1.0
19
30
.388
5.0
17
31
.354
6.5

MLB 2026 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Mon
5/4
@
4-2
Mon
5/4
@
5-4
Mon
5/4
@
1-5
Mon
5/4
@
1-0
Mon
5/4
@
1-12

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Tue
5/19
@
4:10 PM
Tue
5/19
@
6:40 PM
Tue
5/19
@
6:40 PM
Tue
5/19
@
6:40 PM
Tue
5/19
@
6:45 PM