Indians become 1st team to have 4 pitchers with 200-plus strikeouts
The Cleveland Indians' rotation is now forever etched in Major League Baseball's record books.
Right-hander Mike Clevinger tallied his 200th strikeout of the season by ringing up Boston's Jackie Bradley Jr. in the second inning on Saturday. With that milestone, the Indians became the first team in history to have four pitchers record 200-plus strikeouts in a single season.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
| Pitcher | Strikeouts |
|---|---|
| Carlos Carrasco | 217 |
| Trevor Bauer | 215 |
| Corey Kluber | 203 |
| Mike Clevinger | 202* |
*Totals through 4 IP Saturday
The 1967 Minnesota Twins, 1969 Houston Astros, and 2013 Detroit Tigers are the only other teams to have had three pitchers reach the mark, according to Baseball-Reference.
Although all four of Cleveland's strikeout artists rank top-10 in the category among AL pitchers, it's Justin Verlander who currently leads the Junior Circuit with 275 strikeouts.
The Indians have already clinched their third straight AL Central title, and are on track to face Verlander and the Astros in the playoffs.