Cole ties Yankees' franchise record for single-season strikeouts
It's a night of records for the New York Yankees, as the club also has a new co-leader for the single-season strikeout record.
With his 248th K of the year, @GerritCole45 tied Ron Guidry for the Yankees single-season strikeouts record 👏 pic.twitter.com/J1dXAR1GuW
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 29, 2022
Gerrit Cole notched his 248th strikeout of the season, equalling Ron Guidry for the franchise record set back in 1978. The tying K came against Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Raimel Tapia in the bottom of the fifth inning Wednesday at the Rogers Centre.
| Rank | Pitcher (Year) | Strikeouts |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | Gerrit Cole (2022) | 248 |
| T1 | Ron Guidry (1978) | 248 |
| 3 | Gerrit Cole (2021) | 243 |
| 4 | Jack Chesbro (1904) | 239 |
| T5 | CC Sabathia (2011) | 230 |
| T5 | Luis Severino (2017) | 230 |
| 7 | David Cone (1997) | 222 |
| 8 | Severino (2018) | 220 |
| 9 | Melido Perez (1992) | 218 |
| 10 | Al Downing (1964) | 217 |
Cole's historic night also came in the same game Aaron Judge tied Roger Maris' single-season franchise home-run record.
The right-hander seemed poised to set the new team record, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning. However, Cole ran into trouble, as the Jays tied the contest by scoring three runs. Catcher Danny Jansen spoiled the perfect-game bid with a leadoff solo homer.
He could have more opportunities to break the record before the end of the regular season, with New York still having seven games remaining. However, with the AL East already clinched, the Yankees could opt to rest their ace.
Somewhat amazingly, of the pitchers on that list, only Guidry won the Cy Young that same season.
Cole is considered a long shot to win the AL Cy Young this year as well as he possesses a 3.51 ERA and 3.51 FIP over 194 2/3 innings.
Of note, the five-time All-Star also owns the single-season strikeout record for the Houston Astros, notching 326 Ks in 2019 in his final year with the club. He finished as the runner-up in AL Cy Young voting that year to teammate Justin Verlander.