Will anyone break Nolan Ryan's 383 single season modern era single season stikeout record?

Question

No other pitcher in the modern era has come close to Nolan Ryan's single season strikeout record.

Answer 1

With pitch counts (boring) and guys doing 6 innings what seems like twice a month, no. They will have to raise the mound first and then find a one in a million pitcher and even then, maybe not. But don't forget that Sandy Koufax had 382, so it seems that if conditions change it's possible.

Answer 2

No. With 5-man rotations, you're looking at at most 33 starts a year, which means an average of nearly 12 strikeouts a game, where most pitchers aren't going more than 7 innings a start. That translates to over half of your outs, on average, coming from strikeouts.

Sorry, but it ain't happening.

Answer 3

Randy Johnson has come close a couple of times. In 2001 he fell only 11 short, so it's possible.

I think almost every record in baseball can be broken, including Ryan's single season strikeout record. Some records are LESS LIKELY to be broken, and it may be decades before they are, but most are attainable.

Answer 4

Chipmaker has the best answer. That and the fact that by today's standards most managers only want the starter to get them to the 7th inning anyway.
And then most teams have a 5-man rotation whereas in the past the 4-man was the norm.
Johnson could have done it with one more start the year he had 372... and then he would have had to go the full nine.

Answer 5

Well, no... Randy Johnson came close. Very close (364 in 1999, 372 in 2001). But even the Unit fell short. Unless gameplay conditions change in some favorable way -- reversion to a four-man rotation a preference -- then no, Ryan's mark will continue to stand.

Even with some gameplay changes, it'll take a Johnson-class talent, combined with extraordinary health, to make a challenge. Records are supposed to be difficult; and if Johnson couldn't do it, no one currently playing baseball can.

Answer 6

I doubt it because back then pitchers pitched every 4 games now they pitched every 5 games. Back then pitchers would try to pitch througout the whole game today they pitch to the 7th inning
Nolan Ryan with the Astros was making a 1 million dollars
Today pitchers are making 13-84 million

Answer 7

Never. With the pitchers pitching less and less each year , records for wins and strikeouts probably will never be broken.

Answer 8

No, in today's era of candy assed pitchers who go 6 innings and act like they're Bob Gibson, nobody will pitch enough innings to do it. Great question

Answer 9

If it happens, it would happen in the National League, where Adam Dunn and Ryan Howard play. It would probably have to happen in the NL Central for that matter.

Answer 10

it is not likely that anyone will ever take that record from him. pitchers pitch 200 innings and are work horses nowadays. they would have to be almost 2 k's per inning.