Is it possible to get more then 27 strikeouts in a game?

Question

Who has the record?
Who has come close to beating it?
Any pitcher this year have a chance of beating it?

Answer 1

Yes. If the game is tied after 9 innings. You then go into extra innings.

Answer 2

I'm guessing you are asking about a regulation 9-inning baseball game as opposed to an extra-inning game? Either way the answer is still yes. The record books list many pitchers that have struckout four batters in one inning. Ergo, if the pitcher fanned all three batters in eight innings and four in one inning he would have a total of 28 K's. If it happened twice the pitcher would 'K' 29 batters, and so on.
Ron Necciai pitched a 9-inning perfect game and fanned all 27 in a minor league game in the late 40's or early 50's. On the strenght of that performance he was given a chance by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ron didn't last in the Big Show.
The Major league record for strikeouts in a 9-inning game is 20. Roger Clemens did it twice for the Bo Sox (10 years apart, 1986 & 1996) and Kerry Woods fanned 20 in 1998 for the Cubs.
Tom Cheney whiffed 21 in a 16-inning game in 1962 pitching for perennial cellar dwellers, the Washington Senators.
Personally speaking I do not believe there is a pitcher in the Bigs that will challenge those marks this year. Had Pedro Martinez stayed healthy I would have given him an outside chance. But not now. The pitcher that breaks the record will have to have all his pitches working that day (or night). And then his team will have to score more runs than the opponent. Johnson and Steve Carlton fanned 19 in losing causes. Bob Feller whiffed 18 in an 8-inning game and lost. He didn't get the chance to pitch the 9th.
"The Big Unit", Randy Johnson, came close twice with 19 K's in 1997. I hope this response helps to answer your questions.
By the way, I personally fanned six batters in one inning in a Corkball game about 1958 or '59. Unless your are from Saint Louis, Missouri you never heard of Corkball.
Take care, B. Cool,
Just me, Jay43

Answer 3

In theory, yes.

Although it takes 27 outs to finish a 9 inning game, there is such a thing as a strike out/wild pitch and a strike out/passed ball.

In each of these cases, the batter has swung at the pitch, but for whatever reason, the catcher could not catch the ball in order to tag out the runner. That's what happens when you see the catcher throw the ball down to fist to "finish the strikeout" - he has been unable to pick the ball fast enough to tag the runner, and must throw to first for the runner to be tagged out. If the batter-runner gets to first before he can be tagged out, it's still credited as a strikeout for the pitcher and against the batter, but the batter has not been retired. In addition, the catcher is normally credited with a putout on every strikeout, but is credited with an assist if he needs to throw the ball to first and the batter runner is then tagged out.

The rulebook is available on-line, and explains this much more thoroughly. It also explains many other situations.

Just an addendum for Ryan R - Yes, Clemens holds the record with 20, yes, he was the first major league pitcher to do this and yes, he's done it twice, but Kerry Wood matched that in his rookie season (and allowed only 1 hit in that game) and Randy Johnson in the only lefty to have done it. However, Johnson left the game with the score tied after 9, so the game wasn't complete.

Answer 4

It's possible w/out going into extra innings to throw more than 27 k's in a game. If on the 3rd strike the batter swings and misses but the ball gets away from the catcher and the batter makes it to first safely he stays on, but it counts as a strikeout for a pitcher. So do that once and have 27 strikeouts for outs u have 28

Answer 5

Yes. The catcher could drop the ball after a strikeout and the batter could reach base. That would count as a strikeout for the pitcher but there would be a runner on base so the pitcher could get 4 strikeouts that inning. Also if the game goes into extra innings as others have mentioned.

Answer 6

It's possible but extremely unlikely.

If the game goes extra innings you can keep striking out batters.

You can also strike out more than 3 batters in an inning. If the third strike is dropped by the catcher and no runner is on first base the batter can run to first base. Most likely he will be thrown out by the catcher though. This is why you often see a catcher tag a batter in the batters box after strike three. It is because the catcher dropped the ball but kept it in from of himself and tagged the batter before he could run to first.

The major league record is 4 in an inning. It's only happened around a dozen times, with Chuck Finley being the only pitcher to ever do it twice.

Record for a single game is Tom Cheney of the Washington Senators with 21, but he pitched 16 innings.

Record for a nine inning game is 20 by Roger Clemens (twice) and Kerry Wood.

Randy Johnson also struck out 20 in nine innings a couple seasons ago. He pitched the first nine innings of an extra inning game.

Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver both had 19 strikeout games when they were playing, which was the record until Clemens came along.

It's quite possible somebody will strike out 21 in nine innings. Maybe Johan Santana.

Somebody striking out 22 in an extra-inning game is less likely. How often does a manager let his pitcher pitch more than nine innings anymore? Hopefully somebody will hit 20 after nine innings like Randy Johnson and then be allowed to pitch into the tenth and possibly beyond. We can only imagine how many more batters Randy Johnson would have struck out if he hadn't been taken out of the tie game after nine innings.

Answer 7

Yes it is possible because the game could go into extra innings, or the catch could drop the ball on the third strike. Now if the catcher keeps dropping the ball there's really no limit to the amount of strikeouts in an inning, or a game, unless the catcher can still throw out the runner on first, or when he's going to first, due to the dropped ball.

Roger Clemens has the record with 20, he did it in 1986 and 1996. Kerry Wood also did it in 1998, and Randy Johnson did it in 2002. There is only one pitcher I think who has the ability to tie the record or beat it. That is Johan Santana.

Answer 8

Yes, there is another situation that has not been touched on. A pitcher may strike out a batter, but if the 3rd strike is not controlled by the catcher, (i.s., catcher drops the ball, wild pitch, etc.) the batter is allowed to run. He may get thrown out at first, but if he is safe, the strikeout counts, but the put-out doesn't. The pitcher will then have to face another batter, and his quest for strikeouts may continue. If this batter is struck out, then the strikeout total goes up, as does the number of batter he has faced.

Randy Johnson and Roger Clemmons are the closest, both having struck out 20 once in their career. Clemmons really early in his, Johnson more recently. I don't think anyone will ever come close to beating that mark, due to batters being stronger and faster, and the lack of dominant pitching in baseball.

Answer 9

It is possible to get more than 27 K's in a game. Quite a few pitchers have recorded four K's in an inning. Joe Niekro even had five in an inning in spring training. If first base is open, or with two outs, the batter can run to first even after striking out if the catcher doesn't catch the ball. The record in a game is 20. Roger Clemons did it twice and I think Kerry Wood was the other to do it.

*edit* To Jesse, Clemons only got 20, not 21. He did it twice. Randy Johnson also got 20 but he pitched 11 innings.

Answer 10

Yes it is possible to get more than 27 K in a 9 inning game. For example let's say the pitcher strikes out the lead batter in an inning with no one out but the catcher drops the ball and the batter runs to first and he's safe, that means the pitcher could go on to K 4 people in an inning. so lets say he pitchers a complete game he could get 28 Ks or even more

Answer 11

The record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning game by a minor league pitcher was set by Ron Necciai, who struck out 27 batters in a Class-D game between the Appalachian League Bristol Twins and the Welsh Miners (May 13, 1952). - Resource: Blue Ridge Country

The overall record for most strikeouts in a game is 21, by Tom Cheney of the Washington Senators against the Baltimore Orioles, over 16 innings on Sept. 12, 1962.