Single Season Leaders for Strikeouts

Each of the players holds a dubious mark in baseball history and each of them could easily be a pitchers great moment and two innings later be a pitchers call to the bullpen. These men on this chart each whiffed out more than their fellow players more often in a single season than any other players in the history of the game.

Baseball Almanac is pleased to present the top one-hundred (100) all-time single season leaders in Major League strikeouts. Note: A bold faced entry denotes that the player was active during the previous Major League season.
"If you get two-hundred hits a season, you're going to hit .333 and you'll still have four-hundred outs. I don't see why you have to run down to first base every time to make an out." - Bobby Bonds (#2 Overall Single Season Leader for Strikeouts)
Strikeouts
Single Season Leaders

'Top 100'
Mark Reynolds 223 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 1
Mark Reynolds 204 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks NL 2
Ryan Howard 199 2007 Philadelphia Phillies NL 3
Ryan Howard 199 2008 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Jack Cust 197 2008 Oakland Athletics AL 5
Adam Dunn 195 2004 Cincinnati Reds NL 6
Adam Dunn 194 2006 Cincinnati Reds NL 7
Bobby Bonds 189 1970 San Francisco Giants NL 8
Jose Hernandez 188 2002 Milwaukee Brewers NL 9
Bobby Bonds 187 1969 San Francisco Giants NL 10
Preston Wilson 187 2000 Florida Marlins NL  
Rob Deer 186 1987 Milwaukee Brewers AL 12
Ryan Howard 186 2009 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Jack Cust 185 2009 Oakland Athletics AL 14
Jose Hernandez 185 2001 Milwaukee Brewers NL  
Pete Incaviglia 185 1986 Texas Rangers AL  
Jim Thome 185 2001 Cleveland Indians AL  
Cecil Fielder 182 1990 Detroit Tigers AL 18
Jim Thome 182 2003 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Ryan Howard 181 2006 Philadelphia Phillies NL 20
Mo Vaughn 181 2000 Anaheim Angels AL  
Mike Schmidt 180 1975 Philadelphia Phillies NL 22
Rob Deer 179 1986 Milwaukee Brewers AL 23
Richie Sexson 178 2001 Milwaukee Brewers NL 24
Mark Bellhorn 177 2004 Boston Red Sox AL 25
Adam Dunn 177 2009 Washington Nationals NL  
Jose Hernandez 177 2003 Chicago Cubs NL  
Colorado Rockies NL
Pittsburgh Pirates NL
Mike Cameron 176 2002 Seattle Mariners AL 28
Jay Buhner 175 1997 Seattle Mariners AL 29
Jose Canseco 175 1986 Oakland Athletics AL  
Rob Deer 175 1991 Detroit Tigers AL  
Dave Nicholson 175 1963 Chicago White Sox AL  
Gorman Thomas 175 1979 Milwaukee Brewers AL  
Curtis Granderson 174 2006 Detroit Tigers AL 34
Sammy Sosa 174 1997 Chicago Cubs NL  
Bo Jackson 172 1989 Kansas City Royals AL 36
Jim Presley 172 1986 Seattle Mariners AL  
Reggie Jackson 171 1968 Oakland Athletics AL 38
Sammy Sosa 171 1999 Chicago Cubs NL  
Sammy Sosa 171 1998 Chicago Cubs NL  
Jim Thome 171 2000 Cleveland Indians AL  
Jim Thome 171 1999 Cleveland Indians AL  
Dan Uggla 171 2008 Florida Marlins NL  
Adam Dunn 170 2002 Cincinnati Reds NL 44
Brandon Inge 170 2009 Detroit Tigers AL  
Gorman Thomas 170 1980 Milwaukee Brewers AL  
Rob Deer 169 1993 Boston Red Sox AL 47
Detroit Tigers AL
Andres Galarraga 169 1990 Montreal Expos NL  
Craig Wilson 169 2004 Pittsburgh Pirates NL  
Adam Dunn 168 2005 Cincinnati Reds NL 50
Pete Incaviglia 168 1987 Texas Rangers AL  
Corey Patterson 168 2004 Chicago Cubs NL  
Juan Samuel 168 1984 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Sammy Sosa 168 2000 Chicago Cubs NL  
Jim Edmonds 167 2000 St. Louis Cardinals NL 55
Richie Sexson 167 2005 Seattle Mariners AL  
Dan Uggla 167 2007 Florida Marlins NL  
Gary Alexander 166 1978 Cleveland Indians AL 58
Oakland Athletics AL
Steve Balboni 166 1985 Kansas City Royals AL  
Carlos Pena 166 2008 Tampa Bay Rays AL  
Cory Snyder 166 1987 Cleveland Indians AL  
Adam Dunn 165 2007 Cincinnati Reds NL 62
Chris Young 165 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks NL  
Jack Cust 164 2007 Oakland Athletics AL 64
Adam Dunn 164 2008 Arizona Diamondbacks NL  
Cincinnati Reds NL
Derrek Lee 164 2002 Florida Marlins NL  
Donn Clendenon 163 1968 Pittsburgh Pirates NL 67
Troy Glaus 163 2000 Anaheim Angels AL  
Carlos Pena 163 2009 Tampa Bay Rays AL  
Jason Bay 162 2009 Boston Red Sox AL 70
Pat Burrell 162 2001 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Ron Gant 162 1997 St. Louis Cardinals NL  
Bill Hall 162 2006 Milwaukee Brewers NL  
Butch Hobson 162 1977 Boston Red Sox AL  
Juan Samuel 162 1987 Philadelphia Phillies NL  
Dick Allen 161 1968 Philadelphia Phillies NL 76
Reggie Jackson 161 1971 Oakland Athletics AL  
Brad Wilkerson 161 2002 Montreal Expos NL  
Pat Burrell 160 2005 Philadelphia Phillies NL 79
Mike Cameron 160 2007 San Diego Padres NL  
Henry Rodriguez 160 1996 Montreal Expos NL  
Alfonso Soriano 160 2006 Washington Nationals NL  
Mickey Tettleton 160 1990 Baltimore Orioles AL  
Jay Buhner 159 1996 Seattle Mariners AL 84
Jose Canseco 159 1998 Toronto Blue Jays AL  
Ben Grieve 159 2001 Tampa Bay Devil Rays AL  
Mark McGwire 159 1997 Oakland Athletics AL  
St. Louis Cardinals NL
Richie Sexson 159 2000 Cleveland Indians AL  
Milwaukee Brewers NL
Jeromy Burnitz 158 1998 Milwaukee Brewers NL 89
Jose Canseco 158 1990 Oakland Athletics AL  
Rob Deer 158 1989 Milwaukee Brewers AL  
Andres Galarraga 158 1989 Montreal Expos NL  
Troy Glaus 158 2001 Anaheim Angels AL  
Bo Jackson 158 1987 Kansas City Royals AL  
Melvin Nieves 158 1996 Detroit Tigers AL  
Jose Canseco 157 1987 Oakland Athletics AL 96
Andres Galarraga 157 1996 Colorado Rockies NL  
Melvin Nieves 157 1997 Detroit Tigers AL  
Jim Presley 157 1987 Seattle Mariners AL  
Alfonso Soriano 157 2002 New York Yankees AL 100
Lee Stevens 157 2001 Montreal Expos NL  
Danny Tartabull 157 1986 Seattle Mariners AL  
Current Through 2009 Season


Willie Stargell is number five on the all time career strikeout list, but he never broke into the top eighty (80) on the single season leaders for strikeouts; by comparison, Jose Hernandez already appears two (2) times in the top twenty and is well on his way to becoming one of the big leaders (#69 all-time already [up from #82 in 2004]).

Jose Hernandez broke into the Major Leagues in 1991 and for the first six (6) years of his career never struck out more than a hundred (100) times. In 2000 he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and two of the three seasons he played with them he struck out more than one-hundred eighty (180) times.

Did you know that Reggie Jackson, who is WELL known (dare we say infamous) for his ability to strikeout often, only appears in the top one-hundred only three (3) times and might even slip #74 off the page in the next few years?
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