In 2024, the MLB strikeout leader charts finished in a way that had not been seen since 1958.
Will we see a return to the norm this season, or will injuries and other factors combine to impact the leaderboard again?
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What did baseball look like in 1958?
- The rivalry between the Dodgers and Giants, which is one of the biggest rivalries in American sports, moved from New York to California as the two teams relocated to Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively.
- There were 16 MLB teams, split evenly across the American League and National League.
- Nine teams who have since won the World Series at least once did not exist yet: the Mets, Royals, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Angels, Marlins, Astros, Nationals, and Rangers. The Twins, who have two World Series titles, were still the Washington Senators.
- Two teams had yet to integrate. The Detroit Tigers did that year, and the Boston Red Sox did the following year.
- At the age of 39, Ted Williams led the American League in batting with a .328 average in his 17th MLB season.
- Red Sox outfielder Jackie Jensen, the only person to play in a Rose Bowl, World Series, and MLB All-Star Game, was named AL MVP after hitting .286 with 35 homers and 122 RBI.
- The New York Yankees won the 18th of their 27 all-time World Series titles, defeating the Milwaukee Braves in a seven-game series.
That season, the MLB strikeout leader charts were topped by Sam Jones of the St. Louis Cardinals, who had 225 strikeouts in 250 innings across 35 starts.
Since then, every MLB strikeout leader in a full season had tallied at least 230 Ks.
That is, until last season. Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Detroit’s Tarik Skubal led their respective leagues in wins, strikeouts, and ERA and claimed Cy Young Award honors for their magic on the mound.
But both fell short of 230 strikeouts, with Sale finishing three behind Skubal, who led the majors with 228.
2024 MLB Strikeout Leaders
- 1. Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers – 228
- 2. Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves – 225
- t3. Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies – 224
- t3. Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres – 224
- 5. Cole Ragans, Kansas City Royals – 223
- 6. Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners – 220
- 7. Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox – 209
- 8. Yusei Kikuchi, Toronto Blue Jays/Houston Astros – 206
- 9. Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals – 203
- 10. Michael King, San Diego Padres – 201
Don’t expect it to happen again this season, provided the biggest names can remain healthy.
As the second half of the season begins, Crochet (160), Wheeler (154), and Skubal (153) all have more than 150 strikeouts, and with a dozen or more starts left for all three, at least one should reach 230 strikeouts.
Who is the favorite at top online sportsbooks like BetOnline? Crochet, who has notched nine or more strikeouts in nine of his first 20 starts this season, is out in front.
As it stands, there’s a decent chance that Cy Young Award honors will be claimed by each league’s strikeout leader for the second straight season. In the latest Cy Young odds, Skubal tops AL Cy Young odds ahead of Crochet, while Wheeler has a slight edge over Skenes in the NL Cy Young race.
2025 MLB Strikeout Leader Odds
Odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Friday, July 18, 2025.
- Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox -175
- Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies +275
- Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers +325
- MacKenzie Gore, Washington Nationals +5000
- Hunter Brown, Houston Astros +5000
- Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates +7500
- Carlos Rodon, New York Yankees +10000
2025 Strikeout Projections for MLB Betting Favorites
Reputable betting tools and resources are key whether you bet on MLB odds, NFL odds, or NBA odds. And when it comes to MLB futures bets, player projections are a helpful way to help determine how to bet on MLB strikeout leader odds, other odds for individual player performance and statistical leaders, and MLB award odds.
Here are some of the best sites for checking out and keeping up with MLB player projections:
- Baseball Reference Marcel Projections
- ESPN Fantasy Rankings and Player Projections
- FanGraphs
- FantasyPros
Along with being helpful for MLB home run leader odds and other player futures, these sites can be helpful for MLB prop bets, as well as generally improving your MLB knowledge. Use them to your advantage to become a better bettor.
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