Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes enters Saturday with 209 strikeouts, just two behind San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb for the National League lead.
With one more start slated this season, Skenes could still finish the year as the senior circuit’s leader in punchouts.
Meanwhile, Washington Nationals All-Star outfielder James Wood is running away with the NL batter’s crown for most strikeouts with 212 entering Saturday.
Jayson Stark of The Athletic noted on Friday that should Wood finish the year with more strikeouts than whichever pitcher leads the league, that’d be a first in NL history.
“The only truly narrow call in a full season came way back in 1938, when Clay Bryant (the pitcher) edged Vince DiMaggio (the hitter) for the National League strikeout “title,” 135-134,” Stark wrote. “There was also a late charge in the NL as recently as last year, when Chris Sale (the pitching champ) missed his last two starts, and Elly De La Cruz (the hitting champ) then made it to within seven of him (225-218). But other than that, this ‘record’ has never even been in play.”
Story continues below advertisement
Of course, this is a bit of history that Wood would want no part of.
Skenes is scheduled to have one more start during the 2025 season, likely coming during next week’s series against the Cincinnati Reds. The likely NL Cy Young award winner faced the Reds just once this year, hurling six shutout innings and recording eight strikeouts in a win on Aug. 7.
More MLB: Pirates Ace Paul Skenes Asks For More From Entire Team
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images