MLB Single-Season Strikeouts Record Progression
Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.
The MLB single-season strikeouts record is 513, set by Matt Kilroy in 1886. It has stood for 139 years. The mark has been raised 11 times since 1871.
Record Holders
12 marks since 1871| Year | Player | SO | Stood for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1886 |
 Matt Kilroy
|
513 | still standing |
| 1884 |
 Hugh Daily
|
483 | 2 years |
| 1883 |
 Tim Keefe
|
359 | 1 year |
| 1880 |
 Larry Corcoran
|
268 | 3 years |
| 1879 |
 John Ward
|
239 | 1 year |
| 1878 |
 Tommy Bond
|
182 | 1 year |
| 1877 |
Tommy Bond
|
170 | 1 year |
| 1876 |
 Jim Devlin
|
122 | 1 year |
| 1874 |
 Bobby Mathews
|
101 | 2 years |
| 1873 |
Bobby Mathews
|
79 | 1 year |
| 1872 |
Bobby Mathews
|
57 | 1 year |
| 1871 | Al Pratt | 34 | 1 year |
The earliest marks here are records only in the sense that nobody had done better yet. Season length, schedule and the rules themselves have all changed, so a figure from the 1870s is not comparable with a modern one and is not offered as though it were.